120+ places in Ohio, including Columbus suburbs, ban legalized recreational cannabis sales

Despite marijuana becoming newly legal in Ohio in 2023, over 121 places in Ohio have banned or paused recreational cannabis sales.

Columbus suburbs like Powell, New Albany, Westerville, and Delaware, and more, plus rural municipalities, and over 100 more cities, townships, and villages have completely banned recreational marijuana sales or placed a year-long+ moratorium on sales. According to research by The Moritz College of Law’s Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State, over 135 municipalities have enacted bans or moratoriums on adult-use cannabis businesses. The Health Policy Institute of Ohio reported that as of June 2024, more than 50 towns also had bans in place.

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So, why is this happening?

Well, some cities have claimed they need to conduct more research before allowing recreational marijuana sales to take place in their community. For example,  when marijuana was legalized in 2023, the City of Powell initially responded by implementing a 12-month moratorium on the retail cultivation, processing, and dispensing of marijuana, including medical marijuana, within its city limits. Powell has since extended its moratorium in order to “study the state law and potentially adjust business and zoning codes for marijana businesses.”

For more information about moratoriums and banning of sales, check out the Moritz College of Law report, complete with maps.

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