Recreational marijuana sales top $319 million in six months

That’s according to an Ohio Division of Cannabis Control update as of Feb. 10. That’s 45,184 pounds of plant material.

To put that into perspective, that’s more than the weight of five average Asian elephants.

For contrast, medical sales began on Jan. 14, 2019. According to the department’s historical sales data, in the same six-month window (data for July 15, 2019), medical sales only reached $14.5 million, 1,731 pounds of plant material.

Medical sales have, of course, grown over the six years that they have been legal. As of the same Feb. 10, 2025, update; medical sales have totaled in more than $2 billion in sales. The data says that’s 305,160 pounds of plant material.

Sticking with the same comparison, that’s a little more than 34 Asian elephants.

In an update dated Jan. 30, 2025, the Division of Cannabis Control also lists the number of cultivators, testing labs, processors and dispensaries.

There are 37 certificates of operation for cultivators, 22 level one dual-use, one level one medical only and 14 level two dual-use.

There are 46 certificates of operation for processors, 44 dual-use and two medical only.

There are nine testing labs, seven with dual-use certificates of operation and two with medical-only provisional licenses.

Finally, there are 131 dispensaries with dual-use certificates of operation. You can see a map here.

A bill seeking to further regulate recreational marijuana is currently in committee at the Senate.

Senate Bill 56 would increase the tax rate for purchases from 10 to 15% at the register. It also limits home grow, reducing the number of plants per household from 12 to 6.