AKRON, Ohio – More than a year into adult-use marijuana sales in Ohio, consumers now have the option of purchasing pre-rolls.
However, the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control on Aug. 1 said licensed cannabis processors must receive approval from the agency before they can stock their products on dispensary shelves, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
At least one dispensary sold out of its initial shipment in two days.
“The initial drop was limited quantities, and more will be coming this week,” Christy Bezuijen, vice president of brands and marketing at marijuana grower, processor and dispenser Firelands Scientific, told the newspaper.
The restrictions on selling pre-rolls date back to Ohio’s medical marijuana rules that prohibited any form of combustible marijuana that is prepared and packaged before sale.
Pre-rolls are one of the fastest-growing segments of the cannabis industry, according to a study conducted by Renton, Washington-based pre-roll packaging and manufacturing company Custom Cones USA and Seattle-headquartered cannabis industry analytics firm Headset.
Between June 2023 and June 2024, pre-rolls experienced the biggest increase in sales revenue among all categories, jumping 11.89%, according to the study.
Nationally, pre-rolls accounted for more than $4.1 billion in sales and sold over 394 million units during that time frame.
Ohio, which topped $702 million in its first year of adult-use cannabis sales, in June increased the amount of recreational marijuana retailers can sell per consumer.
But other measures to change cannabis regulations have stalled in the legislature.
Senate Bill 56 would cut levels in recreational marijuana extracts from a maximum of 90% to 70%, limit the number of retailers to 400 and forbid smoking in most public places.
The measure could be revisited when lawmakers return to session in September.
This article appeared in MJBizDaily
