Columbiana County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Columbiana County?

In Columbiana County, medical marijuana is legal, while recreational marijuana remains illegal. House Bill 523 of the Ohio Legislature, effective September 8, 2016, authorized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The law established the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) as the state’s official resource for the program.

Cannabis cultivation is exclusively done by cultivators licensed by the Ohio Department of Commerce. Patients or caregivers are prohibited from growing marijuana plants for personal, family, or household use. Cultivators may also sell or deliver their products to licensed processors but cannot distribute medical marijuana for personal, family, or household use.

The Department of Commerce issues two types of cultivation licenses, Level I and Level II. Level I Cultivators can operate an initial grow site up to 25,000 square feet, while Level II cultivators may operate an initial grow site up to 3,000 square feet. Nevertheless, the licensed cultivators may apply to expand their cultivation area.

Licensed cultivators must comply with the operations plan submitted during application, which contains the policies and procedures for properly handling medical marijuana. There must be designated areas in the cultivation facility according to function, an effective inventory tracking system, and secure and proper cultivation of medical marijuana. Moreover, the facility must be in clean and orderly conditions, free from animal infestation. The cultivators must use only the approved pesticides determined by the Department of Commerce.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Columbiana County?

Yes. Licensed processors manufacture medical marijuana products. The three types of marijuana processors are standalone, vertically integrated facilities, and plant-only processors. The state’s Department of Commerce also regulates these entities.

Processors may obtain marijuana from licensed cultivators and sell or deliver medical marijuana products to licensed retail dispensaries. They shall also comply with the packaging and labeling requirements, such as placing medical marijuana in child-resistant packaging and labeling each product with its tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol content.

A licensed processor shall designate areas in their facility according to function, such as a separate marijuana extraction area. There must be policies and procedures to implement best practices for the safe, secure, and proper processing of medical marijuana. Movement between different production areas by personnel must be restricted. In addition, the facility must have established safety and training policies for its employees.

The Department of Commerce regulates and issues licenses to testing laboratories to check the potency, homogeneity, and contamination of medical marijuana products. Testing laboratories may either be universities or private laboratories.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Columbiana County?

Yes. Regulated by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, licensed dispensaries may sell medical marijuana to qualifying patients and designated caregivers. These entities are issued with a certificate of operation. Before dispensing cannabis, pharmacists shall verify the buyer’s valid ID and written recommendation given by a physician. Without these requirements, no medical marijuana may be sold to the buyer. A 90-day supply of medical marijuana

The law allows these forms of medical marijuana: oils, tinctures, plant material, edibles, lotions, creams, and patches. As for the methods of consuming medical marijuana, the law permits vaporization or vaping but prohibits smoking or combustion of medical marijuana. The patient or caregiver shall not possess more than a 90-day supply of marijuana.

Marijuana cultivators, processors, dispensaries, or testing laboratories shall not be located within 500 feet of the boundaries of real estate of a church, school, public playground, public library, or public park.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Columbiana County?

There was no mention of cannabis delivery to patients or caregivers in House Bill 523 or the MMCP rules and regulations. Patients and caregivers shall purchase medical marijuana directly from marijuana dispensaries. However, designated caregivers may deliver medical marijuana to their patients.

How to Get Medical Marijuana Card in Columbiana County

To get a medical marijuana registry card, the patient must first visit a certified physician who will determine if you have one of the qualifying medical conditions. These medical conditions are:

• AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Cachexia
• Cancer
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• Huntington’s Disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Severe, chronic, or intractable pain
• Parkinson’s disease
• Positive status for HIV
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Sickle cell anemia
• Spasticity
• Spinal cord disease or injury
• Terminal illness
• Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury
• Ulcerative colitis

Once the physician has diagnosed the patient, they shall create the patient’s profile in the Patient & Caregiver Registry. Here, the physician shall write their recommendation that the patient is eligible to receive medical marijuana. The physician shall also require the patient to present a valid government ID for identification. The physician can prescribe up to a 90-day supply of medical marijuana with three refills.

In the patient & caregiver registry, the patient or caregiver can complete the application and pay the registration fee of $50 and $25, respectively. The registration fee is reduced for indigent or veteran patients.

Ohio Medical Marijuana Toll-Free Helpline

1-833-4OH-MMCP (1-833-464-6627)

Contact Form

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Columbiana County?

On April 30, 2019, the MMCP reported that over 2,500 units of medical marijuana products were sold, garnering $5.2 million in total product sales. Since then, total product sales have increased every year. As of August 28, 2023, the MMCP reported that more than 17.5 million manufactured marijuana products were sold, generating nearly $1.5 billion in total product sales.

A rate of 5.75% state sales tax is imposed on the sale of medical marijuana to patients and caregivers. The sale of medical marijuana is not subject to additional excise taxes.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Columbiana County

In 2015 and 2016, FBI Crime Data Explorer reported no arrest for driving under the influence (DUI), illicit possession of marijuana, and illicit sale/manufacturing of marijuana in Columbiana County. By 2017, no data was available concerning the abovementioned crimes.

Then, in 2018, the Columbiana County Sheriff's Office recorded three DUI arrests and none for the illegal possession and sale/manufacturing of marijuana. The latest data available was in 2021, which reported 7 DUI arrests, two arrests for the illegal possession of marijuana, and none for the illegal sale/manufacturing of marijuana.