Ohio Cannabis Regulators Issue $212,500 in Fines for Advertising Violations

The Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) last week issued fines totaling $212,500 against five licensed cannabis companies for allegedly violating the industry’s advertising regulations, Cleveland.com reports. The alleged violations included the use of improper signage at dispensary locations, inappropriate social media posts, and in one case offering free food and beverages from an ice cream truck.

In July, regulators set strict advertising rules for the industry’s launch prohibiting ribbon cuttings, celebratory décor, and product displays outside the dispensaries. Regulators also prohibited on-site consumption, product samples, and the hosting of music or food trucks outside of dispensaries.

Greenleaf Apothecaries — which operates retailers in Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, and Wickliffe — received the largest penalty including separate fines of $150,000 and $12,500, the Associated Press reports. The company said it takes the advertising restrictions seriously and hopes to work with the state toward a resolution.

Ohio voters approved the legalization of adult-use cannabis last November and many of the state’s dispensaries started offering adult-use products last month under rules laid out by the DCC.

A spokesperson for Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said recently the governor has no immediate plans to grant mass pardons for Ohioans with low-level cannabis offenses despite voters having approved the reforms.