Akronites who have been patiently waiting (or not) for local medical marijuana dispensaries to open their doors to non-medical consumers won’t have to wait much longer. Five medical dispensaries in Summit County — three of them located in Akron — have received provisional licenses to sell recreational products beginning Tuesday, Aug. 6. 

The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control released a list of 98 dispensaries in the state that will receive the first set of dual-use certificates of operation. The dual-use certificates will allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to begin selling adult-use marijuana to consumers without a medical marijuana card. 

Recreational-only dispensaries will be the next phase of license approvals, according to the DCC.

Dual-use dispensaries with provisional licenses in Summit County: 

Check out the map of Ohio’s (medical and dual-use) dispensaries here

Read more: Where to buy legal weed in Cleveland

How much weed can I buy? 

According to the DCC, non-medical marijuana consumers 21 years or older can possess up to 15 grams of extract (such as edibles) and 2.5 ounces of another form (such as cannabis flower).

The DCC said that recreational users cannot purchase more than 10 whole day units of cannabis per day. This means consumers can buy up to one ounce of plant material or 10 packages of edibles totaling not more than 1,100 milligrams of THC total. 

The DCC lists that these forms of cannabis will be available for purchase:

  • Oral administration: oils, tinctures, capsules, edibles, sublinguals, tablets
  • Topical administration: lotions, creams, ointments
  • Transdermal administration: patches
  • Vaporization: metered oil or solid, plant material

Where can I smoke weed in Ohio? 

Smoking is still prohibited in public places such as parks and doing so is categorized as a minor misdemeanor. You also cannot smoke in a vehicle, whether you are driving or not. 

But you can smoke at home or on other private property where smoking is allowed. 

Will more dispensaries come to Akron?

Any requests for new dispensaries in Akron will go through Akron City Council. The city recently codified the laws related to the location of recreational dispensaries. Marijuana facilities must be at least 500 feet away from schools, churches, public parks, public playgrounds and public libraries. 

Additionally, dispensaries cannot be within a mile of another licensed dispensary or proposed marijuana facility.

Community & service reporter (they/them)
Reegan Davis Saunders is Signal Akron’s community & service reporter. Reegan studied journalism and art at Kent State University, and they are passionate about the intersection of the two disciplines.

Although Reegan grew up in metro Detroit, they have always been an Ohio State Buckeyes fan. After living in Kent the past few years, they are excited to explore more of Akron, especially the coffee shops.

At Signal Akron, Reegan hopes to serve underrepresented communities by creating more accessible content.