When Ohio legalized adult-use marijuana, supporters forecasted a new era for cannabis consumption in the Buckeye State. Consumers would turn their backs on the illicit market. Tax dollars would go to local communities, not the state up north. People harmed by marijuana prohibition could turn over a new leaf and open small businesses in a blossoming industry.
Turns out reality is more complicated than that. Since adult-use marijuana sales launched one year ago, the industry has faced sluggish growth and a slow regulatory process that delayed the rollout of popular products. People still visit Michigan to buy cheap marijuana. The prevalence of gray market cannabis, including delta-8, means consumers can bypass a licensed dispensary and visit stores with fewer rules.
It's not all doom and gloom, business leaders say. Sales picked up in 2025, and changes on the horizon could give the market a boost. But uncertainty still abounds − especially as state lawmakers debate whether to tinker with the program backed by voters in 2023.
"There's no reason to expect that Ohio would somehow redefine the market possibilities for this drug," said Doug Berman, executive director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University. "There are other forces that may have both at the outset and beyond tempered the likely success of the market."
Read more at The Columbus Dispatch
