Over 121 Places in Ohio Ban Legal Cannabis — Here’s What You Need to Know

July 24, 2025

By Mastamynd

Ohio voters passed Issue 2 in November 2023, legalizing recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older. However, since then, over 121 places in Ohio—including cities, townships, and villages—have banned or paused recreational cannabis sales. This includes areas from Cleveland suburbs to rural municipalities. Most people don’t realize this is happening. These bans block access, silence the will of the voters, and fragment the legal market.

The Numbers You Need to Know

• The Moritz College of Law’s Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State reports that over 135 municipalities have enacted bans or moratoriums on adult-use cannabis businesses.

• The Health Policy Institute of Ohio reported that as of June 2024, more than 50 towns had bans in place.

• Axios Cleveland confirmed that over 100 suburbs—such as Beachwood, Strongsville, and Westlake—are enforcing these bans.

• WCHS News compiled a list of 55 places banning adult-use sales, including Ashland, Kettering, Troy, and Xenia.

  
  

Beyond the Buzz: Who’s Banning Weed—And Why?

This issue isn’t limited to small towns. Here are some of the areas involved:

• Northeast Ohio: Beachwood, Independence, North Olmsted, Strongsville, Westlake

• Central Ohio: Powell, New Albany, Westerville, Delaware

• Southwest Ohio: Beavercreek, Kettering, Centerville, Xenia, Troy

• Others: Hudson, Lakewood, Marysville, Upper Arlington, Loveland

  
  

Their reasons range from “need to study impacts” to “protect community values,” often masking stigma under public-safety concerns.

Why This Should Matter to You

1. It Cancels Your Vote

   Ohioans voted 57 percent in favor of legalization. These local bans erase that progress.

   
   

2. It Creates Cannabis Deserts

   Residents in banned zones must drive far for legal access, which is inconvenient and unfair.

   
   

3. It Keeps the Black Market Alive

   When legal access is shut down, people revert to street sources for cannabis.

   
   

4. It Shuts Down Local Economic Growth

   Without dispensaries, there are no jobs and no new tax revenue from the adult-use 10 percent tax.

   
   

Mastermind’s Take

We won legalization, but now access depends on zip codes and local boards. That’s not true legalization. It’s bureaucracy with backward priorities. Towns that allow alcohol outlets and liquor ads act like cannabis is a crisis—that’s hypocrisy.

Patients, consumers, and advocates need to ask: whose interests are being protected? Not ours, and certainly not Ohio’s.

The Final Blaze

Here’s what you can do right now:

• Check if your city, township, or village is banned—then get curious about the reasons behind it.

• Attend a city council meeting and demand your area reverse the ban.

• Elect local leaders who support regulated cannabis access.

• Support towns that support cannabis—shop there and invest in those communities.

• Join us at the Ohio Cannabis Town Hall in Columbus to take action.

  
  

Ohio Cannabis Town Hall

September 6, 2025

3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Columbus Metropolitan Library – Main Branch Auditorium

824 E. Long St, Columbus, OH 43203

RSVP to the Ohio Cannabis Townhall click here

This is your opportunity to be heard by patients, consumers, lawmakers, and industry leaders—all in one room. We’re building strategy, awareness, and accountability—and we need you there.

About the Author

Mastamynd lives with a traumatic brain injury and severe daily pain. He was one of the first legal medical cannabis patients in Ohio. In 2019, he founded Ohio Cannabis Live to fight misinformation, educate consumers, and drive policy change. Since then, he has created over 1,300 blog posts, thousands of videos, and hosts a weekly live stream every Friday at 4:20 p.m. He also organizes town halls across the state to connect voices, hold officials accountable, and build real cannabis access in Ohio.