OHIO, USA — The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has released its list of the first dual-use certificates of operation as the sale of recreational marijuana is set to begin in the state this week.
The Certificates of Operation (COO) will be issued to 98 eligible dispensaries in Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 6. The DCC said this comes more than a month ahead of the Sept. 7 deadline outlined in the statute passed by Ohio voters in November 2023.
The DCC said COOs do not necessarily mean non-medical sales will begin immediately at every dispensary. Each licensee must determine when to start sales based on staffing, stock and "other business considerations."
Here's a list of local dispensaries receiving COOs on Tuesday, Aug. 6:
Toledo
- GTI Ohio, LLC: 3157 W. Sylvania Avenue
Bowling Green
- Zen Leaf Bowling Green: 1155 N. Main Street
- Nectar: 1011 S. Main St.
Fremont
- Terrasana: 1800 E. State Street
Sandusky
Ohio Patient Access (OPA): 6019 Milan Road
A full list of the dispensaries receiving their COOs can be found here. After a Certificate of Operation has been issued, the Division of Cannabis Control said that information will be published on its website and will be updated on a map here.
“A big reason we were able to get to this point ahead of the Sept. 7 deadline was due to the foundation laid through the state’s existing Medical Marijuana Control Program,” said DCC Superintendent James Canepa. “Since existing licensees had already met stringent requirements of that program, we anticipated this process to be rather smooth. They had already undergone many of the comprehensive checks as part of that process.”
The DCC said in order to receive a COO, dispensaries must show they can properly process adult use and medical sales due to a tax consideration. Licensees must also validate that their security systems meet legal requirements, agree they will "ensure as much as possible" inventory remains available for medical patients, and they must also validate employee training and have implemented updated employee badging.
The DCC said they intend to award Certificates of Operation to remaining eligible dispensaries later this week.
According to the Division of Cannabis Control, if an entity is not awarded a CCO, "it is likely the result of an incomplete application submitted by the applicant."
“As the non-medical cannabis market opens, the Division will continue to review and approve those 10(B) dispensary, or bonus licenses, for which eligible licensees have been able to apply with regard to additional locations,” Canepa said. “Since those additional sites will take time to construct, inspect and receive Certificates of Operation, we anticipate that, over the coming months and years, those 10(B) dispensaries will become operational. As required by the initiated statute, come September 2026, the Division will evaluate demand and access data to determine incremental growth and locations for additional licensees in the state. Our Division is committed to continuing our work in developing and proposing rules to help ensure the cannabis industry in Ohio remains safe and secure.”