Last verified: March 2026
OCHBS — Ohio Cannabis & Hemp Business Summit
The Ohio Cannabis & Hemp Business Summit (OCHBS) is the state's premier cannabis industry event. Held at Cleveland's I-X Center, the summit draws approximately 6,000 attendees for a multi-day program of industry panels, vendor exhibitions, networking, and product showcases.
- Venue: I-X Center, Cleveland
- Scale: ~6,000 attendees
- Focus: Business, cultivation, policy, hemp, retail operations
- Highlight: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame afterparty
- Website: ochbs.com
The Rock Hall afterparty has become the summit's signature social event, merging Cleveland's cannabis industry with its most iconic cultural institution. For out-of-state attendees, the combination of a cannabis business conference and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame event is uniquely Cleveland.
Stargazer Cannabis Festival
The Stargazer Cannabis Festival in Waverly offers something no Cleveland or Columbus event can: camping, stargazing, and a rural cannabis celebration in the rolling hills of southern Ohio. The festival includes joint-rolling competitions, live music, vendors, and overnight camping under dark skies far from city light pollution.
Stargazer represents the other side of Ohio cannabis culture — not the business side, not the policy side, but the community celebration side. It draws a different crowd than OCHBS: consumers, home growers, and cannabis enthusiasts who want a festival experience rather than a trade show. Website: stargazerfest.com.
Farmers Cup & Cannabis Farmers Markets
The Farmers Cup has expanded beyond competition into a broader cannabis farmers market model. Events in Cleveland, Columbus, and Canton bring craft producers and home growers together in a format borrowed directly from the agricultural farmers market tradition. The Farmers Cup is organized through OhioCannabis.com and reflects the site's mission of community-centered, anti-corporate cannabis culture.
These markets serve a purpose beyond commerce. They are community-building events where growers share knowledge, consumers discover craft products, and the culture around Ohio cannabis develops organically rather than through corporate marketing.
OCHBS in Cleveland (business/industry), Stargazer in Waverly (festival/camping), and Farmers Cup markets in Cleveland, Columbus, and Canton (community/craft) each offer a different experience. If you are planning a cannabis-oriented Ohio visit, timing your trip to one of these events adds depth beyond dispensary shopping.
Key Organizations
| Organization | Focus |
|---|---|
| Ohio Cannabis Association (OCA) | Industry trade group representing licensed operators; ohiocannabisassociation.com |
| NORML Ohio | State chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws; consumer advocacy and policy reform |
| MPP Ohio | Marijuana Policy Project's Ohio arm; was instrumental in drafting and passing Issue 2 |
| OHCANN | Ohio cannabis advocacy network; grassroots organizing and community education; ohcann.com |
| OSU Moritz Drug Enforcement & Policy Center | Academic research center at Ohio State; Prof. Douglas Berman provides national-level cannabis law commentary |
The Academic Voice: OSU Moritz Center
Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law houses the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, directed by Professor Douglas Berman. Berman's blog and commentary on cannabis sentencing, federal policy, and state-level reform is among the most-cited academic sources in the field. The center provides Ohio's cannabis policy debate with an evidence-based academic perspective that balances industry advocacy and political rhetoric.
For anyone following the SB 56 rewrite, the referendum fight, or the constitutional amendment question, Berman's analysis is essential reading. The center operates independently of both industry and advocacy organizations, making it a rare neutral voice in a polarized policy landscape.
The Advocacy Ecosystem
Ohio's cannabis organizations operate across multiple layers: OCA represents industry interests, NORML Ohio and MPP focus on consumer rights and policy reform, OHCANN provides grassroots community organizing, and the Moritz Center offers academic analysis. This multi-layered structure is healthier than states where only industry voices are organized. The SB 56 fight demonstrated that all of these organizations are needed — and that they do not always agree on strategy.
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org