Text your customers within Ohio’s cannabis advertising rules

Ohio has an adult-use and medical cannabis program

Retail licensing and advertising rules are enforced by the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Cannabis Control. For billboards, social media and other channels, see our cannabis advertising rules beyond texting.

These Ohio rules bear on texting customers

Ads may not run on media likely to reach people under 21, make health claims, appeal to children or use contests and raffles; loyalty programs need an approved written policy covering customer consent and the right to withdraw, and cannabis may not be given away or discounted as a loyalty reward.

• Every advertisement needs written Division approval before it is used (Ohio Adm.Code 1301:18-4-22(A)(3) (eff. Oct. 5, 2026)).
• No ads on a medium likely to reach people under 21 (Ohio Adm.Code 1301:18-4-22(C)(1)).
• Contests, raffles, drawings and games with prizes are prohibited (Ohio Adm.Code 1301:18-4-22(F)).
• No claims of health or therapeutic benefits (Ohio Adm.Code 1301:18-4-22(B)(9); see also R.C. 3796.32(E)).
• No content attractive to children, including cartoon, fictional or pop culture characters aimed at youth (Ohio Adm.Code 1301:18-4-22(B)(3) and (4)).
• Loyalty programs need a written policy submitted to the Division for review and approval, covering customer consent, the data collected and the right to withdraw (DCC, Guidance: Discounts and Loyalty Programs (03/2026)).
• No free cannabis and no cannabis discounts as a loyalty reward (non-cannabis items may be free or discounted) (DCC, Guidance: Discounts and Loyalty Programs (03/2026)).
• Any discount offered to adult-use consumers must also be offered to all registered patients and caregivers (DCC, Guidance: Discounts and Loyalty Programs (03/2026), implementing Ohio Adm.Code 1301:18-8-11).
• Discounts may only be offered under a written discount policy that the Division has approved (DCC, Guidance: Discounts and Loyalty Programs (03/2026)).

Start with consent, your store name and an opt-out line

• Text only people who opted in, and keep the record of when and how they did. Our guide to SMS opt-in and consent for dispensaries covers what to record.
• Put your store name first and an opt-out line on every text.
• Keep product details, prices and offers on an age-gated page rather than in the text, and check the wording against our list of banned words in cannabis texts.

Sticky SMS, by Sticky Cards, the loyalty and marketing platform for cannabis dispensaries, files your 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry, with no charge for the number or the registration, and most stores are live in 1 to 2 days. How Ohio’s rules apply to your program stays with you and your counsel.

Work with Sticky Cards in Ohio

• Run a dispensary, CBD or vape shop in Ohio? Book a demo to see Sticky SMS.
• Run a texting agency in Ohio? Sticky Cards is looking for expert texting partner agencies in Ohio. Email support@stickycards.co to talk about working together.