What to know if you travel from another state to Ohio to buy marijuana

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Ohio joins the ever-growing list of states where adult-use recreational marijuana is now legal, but some of its neighboring states do not have the same laws.

Jason Erkes, Chief Communications Officer for Cresco Labs, says they saw more than 1,200 people across their four Sunnyside Dispensaries on Tuesday when recreational marijuana sales started in Ohio.

Some customers asked what would happen if they took cannabis purchased in Ohio across state lines where medical or recreational marijuana is not legal.

Both medical and recreational marijuana are illegal in Indiana, but they are surrounded by states where marijuana is legal in some capacity.

“It doesn’t matter where you got it in another state, you have to abide by the laws of our state when you’re in our state,” explained Indiana State Police Sgt. Stephen Wheeles.

In March 2023, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 47, which legalizes medical marijuana beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

“So, we do see that coming from some of those other states. I expect that will happen with Ohio as well,” said Sgt. Wheeles. “Oftentimes, we get the response of, ‘Well I bought it legally in another state.’ We want people to understand that just because you bought it legally in another state or you didn’t know that it was still illegal in Indiana, doesn’t make it okay, and that’s not going to get you out of being cited or charged criminally with the possession of marijuana.”

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