Ohio Cannabis Laws: Medical Card, Adult Use, SB 56 and Dispensary Licenses

The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus seen from High Street under a partly cloudy sky — The Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, where Senate Bill 56 became law. Photo by General Ization via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0. Cropped and resized.

Last verified November 13, 2026. Facts come from the agency or source linked on this page. Where sources conflict or we could not confirm something, we say so.

Adult-Use Rules in Ohio
How to Get an Ohio Medical Marijuana Card
What Senate Bill 56 Changed
Open a Dispensary
Timeline
FAQ
Related Reading

Ohio at a Glance

Adult UseLegal for adults 21 and older. Senate Bill 56 added limits that took effect March 20, 2026.

Possession Limit2.5 ounces of plant material and 15 grams of extract.

Home Grow6 plants per adult and 12 per household, at a primary residence only.

Medical Card$50 per year per a 2023 state guide. Confirm the current fee.

Dispensary LicensesCapped at 400 under SB 56. Reported fees are $5,000 to apply and $70,000 for a two-year license.

Ohio Medical Card Checklist

Book a visit with a certified physician, in person or by telemedicine.
Ask the physician whether you have a qualifying condition from the state list.
Have the physician enter your recommendation and profile into the Patient and Caregiver Registry.
Pay the registry fee and activate your registry card.
Carry your card (printed or on your phone) and the ID linked to your registry account to the dispensary.

Card Cost Planner

Add up card fees over the years you plan to hold a Ohio card.

Years you plan to hold a card

Renewal Date Finder

Enter your approval date to estimate when it expires.

Approval date

Adult-Use Rules in Ohio

Ohio voters approved adult-use marijuana in 2023. Senate Bill 56 rewrote parts of that law in 2026, so older summaries are often out of date. The Division of Cannabis Control publishes the limits that apply today.

Possession: no more than 2.5 ounces of plant material and 15 grams of extract, counting homegrown and store-bought marijuana together.
Home grow: up to 6 plants per adult and 12 per household when two or more adults 21 and older live there. Plants must be grown at your primary residence.
Exceeding the plant limit: SB 56 makes going over by any number of plants a criminal offense. Before the bill, only doubling the limit was a crime.
Where you cannot grow: childcare homes and rental properties whose leases prohibit it.
Packaging and travel: marijuana has to stay in its original packaging, and bringing legal marijuana into Ohio from another state is criminalized.

The Division of Cannabis Control FAQ we found may predate SB 56, so read the agency's current page before relying on a limit.

How to Get an Ohio Medical Marijuana Card

Ohio's medical program runs through the Division of Cannabis Control. You need a certified physician, a qualifying condition from the state list, and a registry profile. The card is separate from adult-use purchases, and some patients keep it for the protections it carries.

A certified physician sees you in person or by telemedicine at least once a year.
If you qualify, the physician enters a recommendation and your profile in the registry. A recommendation can cover up to a 90-day supply with three refills, which totals 360 days.
The state's 2023 quick reference guide lists $50 per year for patients and $25 for caregivers. A rule document says some veterans and disability recipients get a 50 percent reduction. Both documents are dated, so confirm today's fee.
A registration is valid for one year from issuance. If it is not renewed, the card expires automatically.
No patient under 18 may buy medical marijuana.

The state publishes its qualifying-conditions list. This page does not reproduce it, so read the Division's list before your appointment.

What Senate Bill 56 Changed

Gov. Mike DeWine signed SB 56 on Dec. 19, 2025. It took effect March 20, 2026. He vetoed one provision that would have let bars and breweries sell THC drinks. Our full explainer covers the medical side in detail: Ohio Senate Bill 56 for Medical Patients.

Intoxicating hemp products move out of general retail and into the licensed dispensary system.
Medical patients become eligible for home delivery once the Division writes the rules. Until those rules exist, delivery has not started.
Dispensary licenses are capped at 400.
New limits apply to public use, and consumption or growing at childcare facilities is banned.
Medical patients keep legal protections that the bill removed for adult-use consumers.
36 percent of adult-use sale revenue goes to municipalities and townships that host adult-use dispensaries.

A group called Ohioans for Cannabis Choice started a referendum campaign to repeal the law the day it was signed. We could not confirm whether it collected enough signatures, so check the Ohio Secretary of State.

Opening a Dispensary in Ohio

Capped Regulator: Ohio Division of Cannabis Control

SB 56 caps Ohio at 400 dispensary licenses. One summary counts 204 dual-use dispensaries already operating, which would leave roughly 200 licenses. Opening an Ohio dispensary also means finding a municipality that allows it. Whether the Division is taking new dispensary applications now is something to confirm with the agency before you spend money.

License	Application Fee	License Fee	Renewal	Notes
Dispensary	$5,000	$70,000 (two-year license)	$70,000 every two years	Fiscal note from February 2025. Confirm against current Division rules.

What to Plan For

Local approval: the municipality or township has to permit a dispensary at your address.
A hard cap of 400 dispensary licenses statewide, per Moritz College of Law and other summaries.
Hemp products now fall under the dispensary system, which may change what an Ohio store can carry.

Startup Budget Planner

The sourced state fees are filled in. Enter your own quotes for the rest. We do not estimate build-out or inventory because they vary by site and operator.

Dispensary application fee: $5,000
Reported in a legislative fiscal note.
Dispensary license fee, two years: $70,000
Biennial. The same amount is reported for renewal.

Lease deposit and build-outSecurity and technologyOpening inventoryInsurance and legalWorking capitalLocal permits and fees

Fees are only part of the cost. Federal law still applies to cannabis businesses, so talk to a cannabis attorney and an accountant before you commit money. Fee figures come from the sources below and change, so confirm them with the regulator. Related reading: CannaWize Business Desk, 280E and Schedule III for Cannabis Businesses, Cannabis Banking Costs and the GAO Report, Licensing Lawsuits and State Markets.

Business sources:

How Ohio Compares


Arizona	Legal	Active	$150 (card term not stated)	Not stated	Fees disputed
Arkansas	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	1 year	Fees not found
California	Legal	Optional county card	Varies by county	Varies	$1,000 + $2,500 to $96,000
Colorado	Legal	Active	$52 per year	1 year	About $3,120 state + local
Florida	Not legal	Active	$75 per year	1 year	No window open (Oct. 2026 guide)
Georgia	Not legal	Active	$75 from Dec. 5, 2026	Not stated	$5,000 + tiered fees
Illinois	Legal	Active	$50 per year	1 to 3 years	$5,000 + $60,000
Louisiana	Not legal	Active	Not found	Up to 12 months	Limited permits
Massachusetts	Legal	Active	Free registration	Not stated	$1,500 + $10,000
Michigan	Legal	Active	$40 per two years	2 years	$3,000 + $15,000
Missouri	Legal	Active	$28.92 renewal per three years	3 years	Microbusiness lottery, about $1,637
New Jersey	Legal	Active	Free digital, $10 printed	2 years	Conditional route, $1,000 up front
New Mexico	Legal	Active	Not found	Not found	$2,500 per year (reported)
New York	Legal	Active	No state fee	Not stated	$1,000 + $7,000
North Carolina	Not legal	None	No program	Not applicable	No state license
Ohio	Legal	Active	$50 per year	1 year	Capped at 400
Oklahoma	Not legal	Active	$100 per two years	2 years	Moratorium to Aug. 1, 2028
Pennsylvania	Not legal	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Closed per one 2026 guide
Texas	Not legal	Active	See guide	See guide	See guide
Virginia	Legal, no stores yet	Active	$50 per year	Up to 1 year	Opens Feb. 1, 2027 (draft)

Ohio Cannabis Timeline

2023Ohio voters approve adult-use marijuana.
Dec. 19, 2025Gov. DeWine signs Senate Bill 56 and vetoes the THC drink provision. A repeal referendum campaign launches the same day.
Mar. 20, 2026SB 56 takes effect.
June 11, 2026HB 611, on medical processor, cultivator and dispensary licenses, passes its chamber per a tracker.
Nov. 12 and Dec. 11, 2026Federal hemp definition changes begin to apply. Read our hemp rules explainer for the details.

Ohio Cannabis Bills

Enacted SB 56: Revises medical and adult-use law and moves intoxicating hemp into dispensaries. Effective Mar. 20, 2026.
Passed one chamber HB 611: Medical processor, cultivator and dispensary licenses. Passed its chamber June 11, 2026.

See every state in the cannabis bill tracker.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio Cannabis Laws

Is marijuana legal in Ohio?

Yes for adults 21 and older, with limits. Possession is capped at 2.5 ounces of plant material and 15 grams of extract, and Senate Bill 56 added restrictions that took effect March 20, 2026.

How many marijuana plants can I grow in Ohio?

Up to 6 plants per adult and 12 per household when two or more adults 21 and older live there, at your primary residence. Exceeding the limit by any amount is now a criminal offense.

How much is an Ohio medical marijuana card?

A 2023 state guide lists $50 per year for patients and $25 for caregivers, with reductions for some veterans and disability recipients. The documents are dated, so confirm the current fee with the Division of Cannabis Control.

How long does an Ohio medical card last?

One year from issuance. Renewal needs a physician visit, and a card that is not renewed expires automatically.

Can I bring marijuana into Ohio from another state?

No. Senate Bill 56 criminalizes bringing legal marijuana into Ohio from another state.

Can I open a dispensary in Ohio?

Dispensary licenses are capped at 400. Reported fees are $5,000 to apply and $70,000 for a two-year license, and your site needs local approval. Confirm that the Division is accepting applications before you commit money.