Cannabis
in Ohio

Adults 21 and over may possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis plant material and up to 15 grams of extract, limits set by Issue 2 and kept in place after Senate Bill 56 took effect on March 20, 2026. The cannabis must come from an Ohio-licensed dispensary or a lawful home grow; product bought in another state is treated as contraband, and bringing it into Ohio is illegal. Adults may share up to those amounts with other adults without payment. Possessing more than 2.5 ounces but under 100 grams is a minor misdemeanor with no jail term, larger amounts carry escalating penalties, and felony charges begin at 200 grams. Medical patients follow a separate 90-day supply limit set by program rules.

You must be 21 or older to buy, possess, use, transport, or grow adult-use cannabis in Ohio, and dispensaries require government-issued photo ID. Giving cannabis to anyone under 21 is a first-degree misdemeanor. The medical program admits patients from age 18. Younger patients can qualify with a recommendation from a physician holding a Certificate to Recommend, but only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, who must register as their caregiver; caregivers must be at least 21. Minor patients cannot make purchases themselves, so the registered caregiver buys on their behalf. Adults who are not registered patients must be 21 at every dispensary, whether dual-use or adult-use only.

Adults 21 and over may grow up to six plants each at their primary residence, with a cap of twelve plants per residence regardless of how many adults live there. Plants must be kept in a secured, enclosed area that minors cannot reach and that is not visible from public places without binoculars or similar aids. Home cultivation is not allowed at childcare centers, halfway houses, or community residential centers, and landlords may prohibit it through the lease. Homegrown cannabis cannot be sold, and it may not be processed with hydrocarbon-based extraction. Exceeding the plant limits can lead to criminal cultivation charges. The medical program itself does not authorize home cultivation, so patients aged 21 and over grow under the adult-use rules.

The Division of Cannabis Control, part of the Ohio Department of Commerce, licenses dispensaries and oversees both the adult-use and medical programs. Senate Bill 56, effective March 20, 2026, placed that authority under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3796. The State Medical Board of Ohio remains responsible for the physician side: it issues the Certificate to Recommend that doctors need before they can recommend cannabis, and it reviews petitions to add qualifying conditions. Older sources, including many patient-facing clinic sites, still name the Ohio Board of Pharmacy as the agency that issues patient cards, reflecting the program's earlier structure. The state caps licensed dispensaries at 400, and municipalities retain authority to ban them locally.

Adult-use cannabis in Ohio is subject to a 10 percent tax established by Issue 2. Reference sources describe the revenue as divided among social equity and jobs programs at 36 percent, host local governments at 36 percent, education and substance abuse programs at 25 percent, and administrative costs at 3 percent. Registered medical patients are exempt from the 10 percent adult-use tax, which is one of the main practical reasons to keep a medical registration active. None of the sources in our research is a state tax authority, and they do not clearly establish whether general state and local sales tax is charged in addition to the 10 percent levy, so shoppers should check the breakdown on their receipt.

Ohio law makes no provision for consumption lounges. Senate Bill 56 prohibits cannabis use in public places and in businesses, and smoking or vaping in public is a minor misdemeanor. Consumption is allowed on private property, including some agricultural land, with the owner's permission, except at childcare facilities, halfway houses, and community residential centers. Renters may consume at home unless the lease forbids it. Using cannabis in a vehicle is prohibited, and smoking as a passenger is a third-degree misdemeanor. When transporting cannabis, opened products must stay in their original packaging and go in the trunk or behind the last upright row of seats. For visitors, a private residence is effectively the only legal place to consume.

The process starts with an evaluation by an Ohio physician who holds a Certificate to Recommend from the State Medical Board, either in person or by telemedicine. The physician must have a bona fide relationship with the patient and confirm a condition on the state's qualifying list before issuing a recommendation. The patient then completes registration and receives an electronically issued card that can be used at any licensed dispensary in Ohio. State registration fees were eliminated as of May 15, 2024, though physicians charge for the evaluation. Medical records are not strictly required but can speed up the visit. Registered patients buy within a 90-day supply limit and are exempt from the 10 percent adult-use tax.

Ohio's medical program covers only conditions on the state's approved list, and physicians cannot recommend cannabis for anything else. The list includes chronic pain lasting more than three continuous months, epilepsy, PTSD, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, ALS, Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, cancer, cachexia, spasticity, Huntington's disease, and terminal illness, among others. Sources disagree on the total, citing figures from 21 to 29, because the list began at 21 conditions and the State Medical Board has added to it since, including cachexia in 2020 and spasticity, Huntington's disease, and terminal illness in 2021. The Board accepts petitions for new conditions each year from November 1 to December 31.

Applicants must be Ohio residents aged 18 or older and must prove residency, typically with an Ohio driver's license or state ID card. They need a recommendation from a physician who is an MD or DO with a full, unrestricted Ohio license and an active Certificate to Recommend, and a condition on the state's qualifying list. Minors may apply only with a parent or guardian's consent, and that adult must register as caregiver. Clinics commonly ask for medical records, a passport-style photo, and a signed consent form, though records are not strictly required. There has been no state registration fee since May 15, 2024; some older guides still list an application fee, which no longer applies.

Clinic sources report that Ohio medical cards are valid for one year, or six months for patients who are terminally ill. To stay registered, patients must see a physician holding a Certificate to Recommend at least once a year, in person or through telemedicine, and obtain a renewed recommendation. Because state registration fees were eliminated in May 2024, renewal no longer carries a state charge, though the physician visit does. The research does not establish a grace period after expiry, so patients should book the annual visit before the card lapses. A lapsed card means buying as an adult-use customer, paying the 10 percent tax and losing access to medical purchase limits.

Clinic and patient-information sources consistently report that telemedicine consultations are available in Ohio, both for initial medical cannabis evaluations and for the annual visit patients need to keep their registration active. The evaluating doctor must still be an Ohio-licensed MD or DO holding a Certificate to Recommend from the State Medical Board, and must establish a bona fide physician-patient relationship. None of the sources in our research is a state agency, and none cites the specific rule authorizing remote evaluations, so we cannot point to the governing provision. Patients should confirm that any telehealth provider holds a current Certificate to Recommend before booking, and should expect in-person visits to remain an option.

Our research identifies no reciprocity arrangement for visiting medical patients in Ohio. The medical program requires Ohio residency, and none of the sources describes a route for out-of-state cardholders to buy as patients. Visitors 21 and over can buy adult-use cannabis with government-issued ID, subject to the 2.5-ounce and 15-gram limits and the 10 percent tax. Ohio is also strict about where cannabis comes from: product bought in another state is contraband under Ohio law, importing it is illegal, and out-of-state delivery into Ohio is prohibited. Some other states allow Ohio cardholders to buy while travelling, but that depends entirely on the destination state's own rules.