Local authority regarding adult use cannabis operators.
(A)The legislative authority of a municipal corporation may adopt an ordinance, or a board of township trustees may adopt a resolution, by majority vote to prohibit, or limit the number of adult use cannabis operators permitted under this chapter within the municipal corporation or within the unincorporated territory of the township, respectively.
(B)Notwithstanding division (A) above :
(1)Existing cultivators, processors, or dispensaries who have a certificate of operation may not be prohibited or limited by a municipal corporation or township from operating under Chapter 3796 of the Revised Code and Chapter 3796 of the Administrative Code by a municipal corporation or township unless there is a revocation of the certificate of
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Local authority regarding adult use cannabis operators.
(A) The legislative authority of a municipal corporation may adopt an ordinance, or a board of township trustees may adopt a resolution, by majority vote to prohibit, or limit the number of adult use cannabis operators permitted under this chapter within the municipal corporation or within the unincorporated territory of the township, respectively.
(B) Notwithstanding division (A) above :
(1) Existing cultivators, processors, or dispensaries who have a certificate of operation may not be prohibited or limited by a municipal corporation or township from operating under Chapter 3796 of the Revised Code and Chapter 3796 of the Administrative Code by a municipal corporation or township unless there is a revocation of the certificate of operation;
(2) Adult use cultivators, adult use processors, and adult use dispensaries that are co-located on the same parcel or contiguous parcels with an adult use cultivator and an adult use processor, who are applicants or license holders under this chapter, and whose owners also have a certificate of operation at the same location as the effective date of this section, may not be prohibited or limited by any municipal corporation or township from operating as an adult use cultivator, adult use processor, or an adult use dispensary co-located with an adult use cultivator and an adult use processor under this chapter because of the significant capital investment in the facilities; and
(3) Dispensaries, or the owners of dispensaries, who have a certificate of operation, and who are not co-located on the same parcel or contiguous parcels with a cultivator or processor that has a certificate of operation, as of the effective date of this section, shall also be authorized to operate as an adult use dispensary without any municipal or township prohibitions upon receiving a license from the division of cannabis control, unless a majority of the members of the legislative authority of a municipal corporation affirmatively pass an ordinance, or a majority of township trustees in a township affirmatively pass a resolution, after the license is issued and within one hundred and twenty days from license issuance, prohibiting the operation of the adult use dispensary within the municipal corporation or within the unincorporated territory of the township, respectively.
(C) If a majority of the members of the legislative authority of a municipal corporation pass an ordinance, or a majority of township trustees in a township pass a resolution, prohibiting the adult use dispensary pursuant to division (B)(3) of this section, then the adult use dispensary license holder shall cease operations within sixty days, unless the adult use dispensary license holder files with the board of elections within the sixty day timeframe a petition prescribed by the secretary of state, and signed by the lessor of one hundred qualified electors or five per cent of the qualified electors of the municipal corporation or township, requesting that the issue, of whether the adult use dispensary shall remain open as long as the adult use dispensary is licensed pursuant to chapter 3780 of the Revised Code by the division of cannabis control and the municipal corporation or township is eligible to receive host community cannabis funding, be placed on the next general election ballot which election shall not occur less than ninety days from petition filing. If the required signatures and form of petition is verified by the board of election, the issue shall be placed on the next general election which is ninety days or greater away from the petition filing, and notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, the adult use dispensary license holder may continue to operate until the issue is decided at the next authorized general election. A board of elections may discontinue verifying signatures when the number of verified signatures on a petition equals the minimum number of qualified signatures. The secretary of state shall adopt rules in accordance with 119 of the Revised Code for the proper administration and implementation of divisions (C) and (D) of this section.
(D) The form of the ballot to be used at the election provided for in division (C) of this section shall be as follows:
"Shall the following adult use dispensary, __________ (here insert name of adult use dispensary), whose owners also have had a licensed medical marijuana dispensary at _________ (here insert address) since _______ (here insert the date of opening), remain open as long as the adult use dispensary is licensed pursuant to Chapter 3780 of the Revised Code by the Division of Cannabis Control under the Department of Commerce, and the__________ (here insert name of municipal corporation or township) is eligible to receive host community cannabis funding?
Yes for the Issue
No for the Issue
"
(E) If a majority of the voters at the general election vote yes for the issue, then the adult use dispensary may operate within the municipal corporation or township and the municipal corporation or township shall receive related host community cannabis funding as authorized under section3780.23of the Revised Code.
(F) If a majority of the voters at the general election vote no for the issue, then:
(1) The dispensary with a certificate of operation at that location may continue to operate at its current address, or the dispensary may request to relocate the dispensary within ninety days of election certification consistent with the requirements of Chapter 3796 of the Revised Code, and related rules, which relocation request shall be approved regardless of the dispensary districts established by the board of pharmacy as long as the relocation request meets all other applicable requirements of Chapter 3796 of the Revised Code and related rules; and
(2) The adult use dispensary must close within ninety days of election certification unless the adult use dispensary applies to the division of cannabis control for a request to relocate within ninety days of the election certification, and then the adult use dispensary may continue to operate until the request to relocate is approved by the division of cannabis control. The division of cannabis control shall review and approve a request to relocate timely once the request to relocate application is in compliance with this chapter and related rules.
(G) A legislative authority of a municipal corporation or a board of township trustees is prohibited from:
(1) Adopting an ordinance or resolution limiting research related to marijuana conducted at a state university, academic medical center, or private research and development organization as part of a research protocol approved by an institutional review board or equivalent entity;
(2) Levying any tax, fee, or charge on adult use cannabis operators, their owners or their property which is not generally charged on other businesses in the municipal corporation or township;
(3) Prohibiting or limiting home grow otherwise authorized under this chapter; and
(4) Prohibiting or restricting an activity that is authorized by this chapter.
Last updated January 21, 2026 at 11:21 AM