Ohio Medical Cannabis Dispensary Licenses Face New Delays

License Awards Pushed to August

The Division of Cannabis Control notified applicants June 9 that license awards originally scheduled for June 15 won't occur until at least August 1, 2026. According to a memo obtained by CannIntel, the agency cited "ongoing administrative review and scoring reconciliation" as the reason for the delay. This marks the second postponement. The original award date was set for April 30, 2026.

Between January 15 and February 28, 2026, the Division received 412 applications for the 73 available licenses. Scoring was completed by an independent review panel in March, but the agency hasn't released final rankings or scores. A Division spokesperson, James Canepa, confirmed the delay but declined to provide a revised timeline beyond "late summer."

HB 210 Expansion Stalls

House Bill 210, signed into law December 18, 2025, authorized 73 new dispensary licenses distributed across 41 counties designated as underserved by the state's 2025 access study. The bill passed the Ohio House 64-32 and the Senate 22-10, with bipartisan support from rural lawmakers. Lead sponsor Rep. Andrea White (R-Kettering) said the expansion was designed to reduce patient travel times, which averaged 47 minutes in counties without dispensaries.

The delay undermines the legislative intent to bring medical cannabis access to patients who currently drive over an hour for medicine.

Under the statute, the Division was required to issue licenses within 120 days of the application deadline, a March 28 deadline the agency missed. Ohio Revised Code § 3796.10(D) doesn't specify penalties for missed deadlines, and no applicants have filed administrative appeals as of June 10.

What Applicants and Patients Face

Seventy-three applicants who submitted $5,000 non-refundable fees and detailed business plans now face uncertainty over lease commitments, staffing, and capital raises. Several applicants told CannIntel they've signed commercial leases contingent on license approval, with monthly rents averaging $8,000 to $12,000. One applicant in Scioto County, who requested anonymity, said the delay has cost the group $36,000 in lease payments and legal fees since March.

Ohio's existing 130 licensed dispensaries serve approximately 238,000 registered patients as of May 2026, according to Division data. Those 41 underserved counties account for 19% of the state's registered patient population but hold only 11% of active dispensary licenses. For full background on this story, see the CannIntel topic hub on Medical Cannabis Program Delays.

A Division stakeholder call is scheduled for June 24, 2026. If the August 1 target holds, newly licensed dispensaries wouldn't open until October or November, assuming standard 60-90 day build-out and inspection timelines.