COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — Ohio’s recreational marijuana market is facing new restrictions on product sizes, THC potency and the amount of cannabis consumers can purchase at one time.
The new rules took effect Monday and cover a range of adult-use cannabis products, including flower, vapes, edibles, beverages, capsules, oral products and cannabis plants.
The changes could require dispensaries to pull some higher-potency products from their shelves or work with manufacturers to modify products so they comply with the new requirements.
Flower, the most popular recreational cannabis product in Ohio, is now limited to one ounce, or 28.3 grams, per package according to WCMH.
Because many dispensaries already limited flower sales to one ounce, the new requirement is expected to have a smaller effect on that portion of the market.
Vapes, the second-most popular cannabis product in the state, face additional restrictions. Consumers cannot purchase more than three cartridges or vaping devices at one time. Each cartridge or device is limited to two grams and cannot contain more than 90% THC.
The state also changed how a serving is defined for inhaled cannabis, setting the serving at one inhalation lasting two seconds.
Edibles and cannabis-infused beverages are also subject to new limits. Individual portions cannot contain more than 10 milligrams of THC.
The restrictions could have a significant impact on the edible market. State data show Ohio consumers spent more than $3.8 million on recreational edible cannabis during the week of Sept. 19, the latest week for which data was available.
During that same week, consumers spent more than $7.7 million on cannabis vapes and more than $11.6 million on flower.
Howard Schacter, a spokesperson for Thrive Dispensaries in Tiffin and Columbus, said the company is working with its brand partners to make sure products comply with the new rules.
“As the regulatory landscape evolves, Thrive will continue to adapt alongside our brand partners to meet state requirements and best serve our customers,” Schacter said. “That includes working with our brand partners on compliant product offerings and exploring discounts where permitted, under the state’s mandate.”
Other cannabis products are covered by the new restrictions as well.
A cannabis patch, capsule or pill cannot contain more than 50 milligrams per unit. Oral pouches and strips are limited to 10 milligrams per unit, while oral drops and sprays cannot exceed 30 milliliters per package.
Cannabis-infused cosmetic products are limited to three ounces.
The rules also establish new limits for cannabis plants and plant materials sold to consumers. A package cannot contain more than six clones, live plants or seeds.
That restriction comes after Ohio lawmakers changed the state’s home-grow rules in March. Ohioans are now prohibited from growing more than six cannabis plants in a household, down from the previous limit of 12 plants.
There is an exception for medical marijuana products, although those products are also subject to a new restriction.
Medical-use edibles and beverages are now limited to 55 milligrams of THC per serving. Previously, those products did not have a specific serving-size limit under the state’s rules.
The latest restrictions follow a broader overhaul of Ohio’s recreational marijuana laws that took effect in March.
Unlike those legislative changes, the latest product restrictions were adopted by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control.
Under Ohio law, the Division of Cannabis Control has authority to establish rules governing the state’s marijuana industry through the Ohio Administrative Code without requiring new action from the legislature.
The new restrictions mean Ohio’s recreational marijuana industry must adjust to tighter limits on the potency, size and purchase quantities of many products as the state continues developing its adult-use cannabis regulations.
