Ohio Issue 2 created a Cannabis Social Equity and Jobs Program funded by adult-use tax revenue, prioritizing dispensary licenses for applicants harmed by prior cannabis enforcement; Cleveland has urged equitable site selection citywide.
Ohio Revised Code §3780.18, enacted via Issue 2 in 2023, created the Cannabis Social Equity and Jobs Program funded by 36% of the 10% adult-use cannabis excise tax. The program offers loans, grants, and license-application assistance to social-equity applicants — defined to include people with prior cannabis convictions, residents of disproportionately impacted communities, and minority/women-owned operators. Initial adult-use licenses prioritized existing medical dispensaries, but new licenses since 2024 reserve allocations for equity applicants. Cleveland City Council has advocated for siting equity dispensaries in historically over-policed neighborhoods rather than concentrating them in suburbs.
Misrepresenting social-equity status, fronting for non-equity investors, or violating ownership-transfer restrictions can trigger license revocation and civil penalties from the Division of Cannabis Control.
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See how Cleveland's social equity licensing rules stack up against other locations.
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