Evaluating the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program: Satisfaction and Perception

Since the inception of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP) in 2019, the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center (DEPC) has surveyed medical marijuana patients and potential patients to evaluate their experiences and satisfaction. These surveys aim to fill in a critical gap in our understanding of the medical marijuana program in Ohio and to find out how the people being served by OMMCP evaluate its performance.

In November 2023, Ohio voters approved a ballot initiative to join 23 other states in legalizing cannabis for recreational use. The initiative went into effect on December 7, 2023, legalizing possession of marijuana for personal use of up to 2.5 oz and allowing for home cultivation. Following a licensing process, official recreational sales in Ohio dispensaries started on August 6, 2024. This seventh annual report thus provides a unique snapshot of the first year when Ohio’s medical and recreational marijuana programs have coexisted and provides insights into patients’ opinions about the medical program and its future.

NOTE: This page does not incorporate citations. Download the report to find the full list of sources and references used.

An analysis of the results of our survey of over 4,000 Ohio marijuana users as well as state data from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control and Department of Taxation reveal the following main findings:

1. First-ever drop in respondents’ satisfaction levels with medical marijuana program

The year 2025 recorded the first-ever increase in dissatisfaction when compared to previous years as reported by survey respondents. As shown in the figure below, only 56% of people reported being either extremely satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the program, which is a significant drop when compared to 74% from last year’s survey. On the flip side, we see an increase in the number of respondents reporting some level of dissatisfaction, from 20% in 2024 to 30% in 2025.

When asked about factors that drove their dissatisfaction, 76% of respondents identified high prices in Ohio dispensaries, which is an increase from 2024 when 70% of respondents named price as a factor. The other two top factors driving dissatisfaction were lack of legal employment protections for patients and the high cost of annual doctor recommendation, although that factor registered a drop of 10 percentage points from 2024 to 2025. Additionally, when asked which policy changes would most affect their satisfaction levels, respondents identified two policy changes that would have a significant positive effect on their satisfaction (providing legal protections for patients and allowing home delivery) and two policy changes that would significantly negatively affect satisfaction (not allowing virtual medical appointments and not allowing online ordering).

Satisfaction levels among Ohio medical marijuana patients

2. Rapid decrease in number of active patients but potential for stabilization

Fiscal year 2024 saw the first sustained drop in active medical marijuana patients in Ohio, and this drop accelerated in fiscal year 2025. In May 2024, the OMMCP had 165,746 active patients, which declined to 94,294 active patients in July 2025. In other words, in just one fiscal year, OMMCP registered a 43% decline in the number of active patients. From its peak in October 2023 (184,958 patients) OMMCP has lost nearly 50% of its patient base, which tracks closely with the experience of other states that have transitioned to an adult-use market. However, when asked how likely it is that, given the legalization of adult-use marijuana, they will continue to register as a medical marijuana patient, 56% reported to be extremely likely to continue their registration, with an additional 16% reporting being somewhat likely. This is a higher percentage of respondents than in our 2024 survey, which could indicate future stabilization in the number of registered patients (which has often been the case in other states).

OMMCP medical marijuana patients with active registration and recommendation

3. Medical sale receipts overtaken by recreational sales creating a large increase in tax collections

With the advent of recreational sales in August 2024, we see a major increase in the total sales of marijuana plant and products with total sales more than doubling from $486,483,441 from August 2023 to July 2024, to $1,003,582,575 from August 2024 to July 2025. Of the more than $1 billion in sales during this time period, medical marijuana represented only about 30% of all sales.

The state of Ohio collects marijuana revenue from numerous sources, including state sales tax (5.75%), local sales tax (0.5 – 2.25%), special marijuana excise tax on recreational sales (10%), as well as various application fees from marijuana businesses. To date, the state of Ohio collected over $434 million in revenue as a result of the marijuana program. State sales tax collections in fiscal year 2025 recorded a large increase of over 230% due to the commencement of recreational sales, with state sales tax collections totaling over $92 million and local county governments collecting over $23 million in local sales tax. In addition to the traditional sales tax, the state of Ohio collected close to $62 million from the special marijuana excise tax imposed on recreational marijuana sales.

4. Marijuana prices continue to be higher than pre-legalization, with Ohio prices nearly three times higher than Michigan prices

Fiscal year 2025 brought a reversal in the trend of decreasing prices in Ohio dispensaries with the average monthly price rising to $7.42 per gram of plant product from $6.16 in fiscal year 2024. To date, prices of marijuana flower continue to hover around the price point recorded in May 2023. In comparison, Michigan’s average monthly price of flower in recreational dispensaries was $2.52 per gram, resulting in an average monthly price differential between Ohio and Michigan dispensaries of $4.90 per gram of cannabis flower. In other words, consumers in Ohio dispensaries are paying nearly three times as much for a gram of cannabis flower than consumers in Michigan dispensaries.

5. Small decrease in levels of dispensary utilization

The number of people who indicated that they always obtained marijuana from Ohio dispensaries dropped from 81% in 2024 to 74% in 2025. This shift seems to be reflected in the increase in number of people who only sometimes obtain their marijuana product from an Ohio dispensary (16% to 22%) as well as an increase in the number of people who reported sometimes obtaining product from dispensaries in other states (34% to 39%), their own production (12% to 16%), the unregulated market (15% to 19%), and gifts from friends and family (30% to 34%). Dispensaries in other states remain the second most popular source of marijuana products, with 9% reporting always obtaining their product from this source and only 51% reporting never using this source of marijuana. We see a slight increase in the number of people who obtain marijuana from the unregulated market, with 77% respondents reporting never using unregulated market to source their product, a drop of five percentage points as compared to last year (82%).

6. Respondents reported that marijuana use reduces their use of other prescription drugs, including illicit drugs

Seventy-nine percent of respondents agreed that using marijuana has reduced their need to use prescription pain killers and 71% agreed that it has reduced their need to use other prescription drugs beside painkillers. Additionally, 26% of respondents agreed that using marijuana helped them reduce their use of illegal drugs. This result seems to mirror other research suggesting some may use marijuana as a substitute for the use of other substances, including illicit drugs.

7. Delta-8 products used by a small percentage of respondents but are perceived as inferior to dispensary products

Seventy-five percent of respondents indicated that they never consume delta-8 products, while the remainder reported use at various frequencies, with 10% of respondents reporting using several times a week or on daily basis. When questioned about delta-8 products, a considerable number of respondents selected to answer, “Do not know”, which indicates relatively low familiarity with delta-8 products among our respondents. Nevertheless, 39% reported being worried about the safety of delta-8 products, 40% agreed that delta-8 products are easier to access in stores, 24% agreed that delta-8 products are less expensive and only 6% agreed that delta-8 products were as just as good as marijuana products purchased in licensed dispensaries.

In our 2024 report we identified several priorities that regulators and policymakers in Ohio should consider to ensure that Ohio’s medical marijuana patients are not harmed by recreational legalization. These recommendations, listed in the concluding section of this report, remain largely unchanged. In light of the increased interest in intoxicating hemp issues and the changes to the tax allocations, we included the following three additional policy considerations.

1. Intoxicating hemp product regulation

In the last 12 months, we have seen an increased interest among Ohio policymakers in regulating or prohibiting so-called intoxicating hemp products, also known as delta-8 products. In the fall of 2024, our center published a report that identified four priority areas for policy considerations: prevention of use by youth and children’s accidental exposure, protection of consumer safety, balancing interest of help and adult-use marijuana industry and administrative regulatory considerations. Given the potential harm of these products, Ohio legislators should consider taking regulatory action on these issues.

2. Collect data and fund Ohio-specific research

Given the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in Ohio, the need has grown for a robust collection of Ohio-specific data when it comes to marijuana and delta-8 use impacts on public health, public safety as well as educational attainment. Public health officials and lawmakers should consider developing a reporting system of adverse experiences that distinguishes between marijuana and hemp products that is tracked in real time across various health-care providers and public health agencies. Additionally, they should also ensure that the state collects and studies student data on metrics related to academic performance, behavioral issues, mental and physical health, marijuana and other drug use, and school completion.

3. Provide education to the public

With high-potency marijuana products and synthetic delta-8 products now widely available to all adults in Ohio, the state should create a statewide public education campaign focused on preventing underage consumption, clarifying the different types of marijuana and hemp-derived products and their uses, and warn of potential harms associated with using these products for certain populations. Cannabis plants can be grown and processed into many different formats and compounds, creating confusion and uncertainty for medical patients as well as other consumers. A public education campaign could assist medical and other users in understanding the different types of available products and the potential benefits and risks associated with their use.