Piqua Receives First Cannabis Tax Funds Totaling Nearly Half-a-Million Dollars 

Information provided by the office of State Senator Steve Huffman

COLUMBUS—State Senator Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) is proud to announce that the funds collected by cannabis dispensaries as a result of taxes incurred under Senate Bill 56 have now been distributed to local municipalities across Ohio.

   "Local governments who chose to let these businesses into their city will now see the funding these dispensaries generate returned to their cities to be used how they wish," said Senator Huffman. "Making sure both state and local governments see the revenue from these new businesses is what the voters approved of in Issue 2. I'm proud to see this funding distributed across Ohio and look forward to seeing the ways these funds will benefit local communities." 

   "The City of Piqua is relieved and encouraged that tax revenue promised to local governments from recreational marijuana sales will indeed be disbursed to communities as intended under the recently approved Senate Bill 56," said Piqua City Manager Paul Oberdorfer. "Local governments — including Piqua — decided to allow recreational marijuana sales within their communities based on the understanding that funds would come back to local control to best serve the individual needs of the community. We appreciate our state legislators, including Senator Huffman, for working to protect the dollars promised to local communities and preserve autonomy to decide how funds are best used for our own community."

   "The City of Piqua is eager to put the first distribution of funds, totaling more than $438,000, to work as we continue to maintain and improve our top-tier parks system for residents and visitors," concluded Mr. Oberdorfer.

   When Ohio voters legalized adult-use cannabis in Issue 2 in 2023, it required dispensaries to have a 10% excise tax paid by consumers with the collected revenue going into the Adult Use Cannabis Fund. However, no appropriation of the revenue collected was included in the voter-passed law. 

   As a result of the passage of Senate Bill 56, Ohio maintains Issue 2 language requiring the 10% tax rate with the Department of Taxation distributing 36% of funds collected. The bill created the Host Community Cannabis Fund in order to disburse those funds to local communities that have a dispensary. From July 2024 to November 2025 the state collected a total of $33 million from the dispensaries. As of January 7th, 2026, the Department of Taxation has begun distributing the funds to local governments across Ohio.