Ohio’s marijuana retail landscape continues to expand, with newly released licensing data showing the state now has 186 dispensaries that hold active certificates of operation.
This marks the largest number of licensed outlets since adult-use sales began, and it reflects a steady pace of approvals from the Division of Cannabis Control throughout 2025, including 27 additional licenses that were approved between August and the end of November.
The 186-store figure includes retailers authorized to operate as dual-use locations, meaning they can serve both recreational consumers and medical patients. However, not all locations counted in the total are necessarily open to the public. Many stores that hold full certificates are still finalizing staffing, inventory and inspections before beginning sales.
In addition to the active certificates, the state continues to maintain a significant pool of businesses waiting in the wings. 95 dispensaries still hold provisional licenses, including dozens issued under Ohio’s “10(B)” process, which signals that a retailer is moving through build-out and compliance steps but is not yet cleared to open. When these provisional sites come online, Ohio’s retail footprint will grow noticeably larger than what is reflected in the current operational count.
The expansion of licensed stores comes as Ohio’s marijuana market posts some of its strongest sales to date. Since adult-use commerce launched, consumers have spent more than $1.33 billion on legal marijuana products, with recreational purchases accounting for the majority of recent growth. Adult-use buyers have purchased well over 155,000 pounds of flower and more than 17 million manufactured items, contributing to a retail environment that continues to scale rapidly as new stores prepare to open.
Medical sales remain steady, pushing total legal marijuana revenue in the state above $3.2 billion when combining all sales reported to date. That sustained demand has fueled ongoing interest from prospective operators, which is reflected in the large number of provisional licenses still working toward full approval.
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