The Ohio Cannabis Expo is a major public event aimed at “education, equipment, home-grow, custom glass, cannabis employment, and networking” for Ohio’s cannabis community. Each edition draws together a broad cross-section of attendees: from business owners, cultivators, and product vendors to patients, adult-use consumers, and cannabis-curious members of the public.
It’s an inclusive, 21+ (or medical-card holder) event that offers workshops, exhibitor halls, and panel sessions. For example, the 2026 expo is scheduled for May 22–23 in Hilliard/Columbus, with topics ranging from home growing, consumption methods, medical cannabis, policy and legislation, and voices from veterans and seniors.
In short, the Expo serves as a gathering place—a moment for education, community building, commerce, and conversation—at a moment when Ohio’s cannabis landscape is evolving fast.
Why Now? Because Ohio’s Cannabis Laws Are Changing
The timing matters more than ever. On November 7, 2023, Ohio voters approved Issue 2, the ballot measure legalizing adult-use cannabis. As of December 7, 2023, possession and personal use became legal under state law.
Then, on August 6, 2024, sales began as dispensaries transitioned to allow adult-use purchases—making the state’s regulated recreational market officially live.
With that shift, Ohio is navigating new regulatory frameworks: licensing cultivators, processors, dispensaries, and testing labs; setting packaging, labeling, security, and compliance standards; and managing local moratoria or zoning restrictions in certain municipalities.
In this evolving legal context, events like the Ohio Cannabis Expo give clarity, community, and connection—helping people and businesses understand what’s legal now, what compliance looks like, and where opportunities may arise.
What the Expo Offers: Education, Transparency, and Community
Learning & Education
The Expo isn’t just a marketplace—it’s a classroom. Workshops and panels at the event examine issues such as home-growing, methods of consumption, medical cannabis, and state legislation/policy updates. For many Ohioans—newcomers to cannabis, medical patients, or entrepreneurs—this kind of access to expert voices and real-world information helps build confidence and understanding in a newly regulated market.
Industry Networking & Business Opportunities
With cultivation, processing, testing, retail, and ancillary services (like packaging, glassware, and home-grow equipment) all potentially part of Ohio’s new industry, the Expo offers a way for vendors, entrepreneurs, and service providers to meet, collaborate, and build relationships. For businesses planning to enter or expand in Ohio’s market, it’s a strategic place to connect with suppliers, partners, or clients—especially at the start of adult-use legal sales.
Community & Advocacy Bridge
The Expo helps bring together a diversity of voices: long-time medical cannabis patients, new adult-use consumers, home-grow hobbyists, caregivers, and business stakeholders. By creating a space for open dialogue and shared experiences, it helps reduce stigma, foster understanding, and build a sense of shared identity—important in a state where cannabis is newly legalized and the social landscape remains in flux.
More Than Just an Expo—A Signifier of Change
The Ohio Cannabis Expo is more than a trade show or a vendors’ hall. Right now, it’s a barometer of how Ohio’s cannabis market is evolving. With adult-use legalization recently achieved and regulated sales underway, this event offers a rare opportunity: to see the industry’s trajectory, to learn what responsible participation looks like, to connect with others who are building—or benefiting from—the new legal cannabis ecosystem, and to shape the culture around it.
