Ohio spent over $11.5 million on legalized weed in lower than every week

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The primary 5 days of authorized weed gross sales in Ohio generated greater than $11.5 million, the state has reported.

The newly fashioned Ohio Division of Hashish Management launched the figures for marijuana distribution by licensed dispensaries inside the Buckeye State, the place leisure purchases by adults over 21 have been allowed for the primary time.

Shops offered 1,285 kilos of marijuana flower and greater than 173,000 different merchandise, akin to vaporizer cartridges and edibles.

Underneath Ohio regulation, 10% of all marijuana gross sales go to the Division of Taxation, whereas a 5.75% cost can also be added to all Ohio purchases as gross sales tax, with particular person counties having the choice so as to add much more.

That provides as much as greater than $1.8 million in new tax income for Ohio — in lower than every week.

These numbers are on pattern with different states who’ve made leisure puffing authorized.

Colorado, the primary state to legalize, scored about $1 million in new tax income throughout its first week of gross sales again in 2014.

Illinois, the most important state within the Midwest by inhabitants, raked in additional than $2 million in 2018; whereas Michigan — Ohio’s neighbor to the north — solely noticed about $270,000 throughout their first week of gross sales in December, 2019.

“What a profitable opening day,” mentioned Jamie Callender, Republican Ohio state rep and longtime legalization advocate.

Callender additionally occurred to be the client who bought the primary batch of authorized flower in Ohio’s Lake County, at Amplify Ohio Medical Dispensary.

“That is positively a bit of historical past,” he informed retailer staff upon trying out in a video posted to Twitter.

Ohio initially handed its leisure marijuana regulation by citizen initiative in November 2023, however confronted points within the courts till June, with gross sales lastly commencing on Aug. 5.

Ohio is now the twenty third state within the US to legalize leisure marijuana use for adults 21 and up.