“I think the drop in satisfaction was…a little more than I expected. I expected a little bit of a drop…but going from (74 percent) to (56 percent), that’s a pretty big drop.”
By Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal
People reported reduced satisfaction with Ohio’s medical marijuana program since recreational marijuana sales started, according to a new Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center survey.
Slightly more than half of the people surveyed (56 percent) reported being either extremely satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP)—a drop compared to 74 percent on last year’s survey.
More people also reported some level of dissatisfaction on this year’s survey—30 percent in 2025 compared to 20 percent in 2024.
“I think the drop in satisfaction was…a little more than I expected,” said Jana Hrdinová, administrative director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center. “I expected a little bit of a drop…but going from (74 percent) to (56 percent), that’s a pretty big drop.”
Drug Enforcement and Policy Center has surveyed medical marijuana patients each year since the sales began in 2019. The most recent report represents the first year that Ohio’s recreational and medical programs have been co-existing. Over 4,000 marijuana consumers were surveyed.
According to the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Cannabis Control, Ohio’s medical marijuana sales began on January 14, 2019 and reached $2.23 billion in total with 331,341 lbs sold by September 13.
Ohioans passed a citizen-initiated law to legalize recreational marijuana in 2023 with 57 percent of the vote, and sales started in August 2024. Ohio legal marijuana sales topped $702.5 million in the first year.
The state’s medical marijuana program saw a 43 percent decline in active patients from May 2024 to July 2025—going from 165,746 active patients in May 2024 down to 94,294 active patients in July 2025, according to the survey.
In October 2023, the number of patients on this program peaked at 184 958.
According to the survey, more than half (56%) of respondents said that they are extremely likely to keep registering as medical marijuana patients. Another 16% reported to be somewhat likely.
It’s hard to know what this will mean for the future of Ohio’s medical marijuana program, but Hrdinová expects there will be a further drop in patients before the number of patients in the program eventually stabilizes.
She said that medical patients do not necessarily want to see themselves as “recreational patients” or “recreational users”. “I believe there’s a cultural or perception difference between these two terms. I believe some patients will still register for the program.”
According to a survey, the average monthly plant product price rose from $6.16 to $7.42 per grain during fiscal 2025.
According to a survey, the average price per gram of Michigan flower sold in dispensaries for recreational purposes was $2.52.
“Unfortunately, I think we are always going to be compared to Michigan,” Hrdinová said.
The fact of the matter is that if you go to Michigan you will pay less money than in Ohio. This can be frustrating for those who are unable to make this trip regularly.
The report found that more than 74 percent of the respondents (including 79 percent of women) reported that using marijuana had reduced their dependency on pain killers prescribed by doctors. 26 percent of respondents also said marijuana use helped reduce their consumption of illicit drugs.
“There seems to be some public and private benefit for some people when it comes to replacing other substances with marijuana which might be less harmful than the other substances,” Hrdinová said.
Drug Enforcement and Policy Center has set three policies priorities. These are: regulation of intoxicating hemp-based products, data collection and funding Ohio specific research and public education.
There are a handful of bills in the Ohio legislature that are trying to regulate intoxicating hemp products in various ways.
The Drug Enforcement and Policy Center recommends having a 21-year-old age requirement to buy intoxicating hemp products, have specific safety and production standards on intoxicating hemp products, and not marketing those products to children, among other recommendations.
The original publication of this story is Ohio Capital Journal.