Anticipated cannabis festival set in Ohio canceled – here’s why

Welp, the high from the announcement that Ohio would be hosting a legal Cannabis Festival, headlined by Afroman, has already worn off.

The Ohio Cannabis Festival was set to take place in Tallmadge, OH over Labor Day Weekend, from August 31-September 1. Organizers thought this was supposed to be a joyous moment for Ohioans, who could celebrate the legalization of marijuana publicly as a community.

However, those plans have officially changed. The Festival posted on their Facebook that they had some disheartening news. “The Summit County Agricultural Society (SCAS) has decided to cancel the upcoming Ohio Cannabis Festival contracted to be held August 31 – September 1 in a statement received by mail to organizers,” they said.

Continuing, they stated, “This breach of contract was in accordance with City and County officials’ direction who cited ownership of the land, our commercial speech and state law. Our team worked very hard for the past 6 months cultivating a full production due the reliance and misrepresentation made by SCAS. In May we found out the grounds are in fact not owned by SCAS.”

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Due to the cancellation, Zick Productions, which was putting on the festival, is going through the process of contacting all contractors and participants, and issuing refunds to those who already bought the tickets. 

Ohioans took to Reddit to voice their frustration, many expressing that allowing alcohol at the fairgrounds is allowed, but marijuana is still stigmatized and prohibited.

However, Stargazer Cannabis Festival is still planning to host their festival at Hocking Hills. Attendees are allowed to bring their own recreational marijuana, but vendors are only allowed to sell cannabis seeds and products derived from hemp.

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