Ohio cannabis store voluntarily closes as state investigates ‘serious health events’

This story has been updated with additional details from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control. 

An Arizona-based cannabis multistate operator voluntarily closed one of its cannabis stores in Ohio while state regulators investigate “two serious health events.”

Ohio state Division of Cannabis Control officials believe two individuals were sickened after they purchased products from Vext Science’s Herbal Wellness Store in Jackson, Ohio, Vext said in a press release Friday.

However, Vext “has not been provided with specific information” about what products were allegedly involved, what problems the purchasers suffered, “or any other information,” the company said.

Why did an Ohio cannabis store close?

Adverse health effects tied to legal cannabis products are relatively rare. According to government researchers, negative health effects are often tied to high-THC products.

However, as MJBizDaily has reported, state recalls of product suspected to be tainted by pesticides, mold or other contaminants are often too slow to recover product before it’s consumed.

In a statement, Vext CEO Eric Offenberger said the company is “confident that our products are safe when used as intended.”

“We take these reported events seriously and are committed to full cooperation with the Division of Cannabis Control as it conducts its investigation,” his statement added in part.

“We look forward to resolving this matter and restoring service to our Jackson customers as soon as possible.”

MJBizDaily could not reach Offenberger or other company officials for comment at publicly listed phone numbers.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Division of Cannabis Control said the agency requested the store “immediately close after law enforcement contacted the Division regarding customers who experienced serious adverse health effects.”

However, follow-up testing did not show “the product in question” to be contaminated, DCC spokesperson Thomas Brockman told MJBizDaily via email.

“After conducting follow-up testing on a sample taken from the same product lot as one purchased by a patient who experienced adverse health effects, follow-up test results confirm that there were no harmful contaminants in that particular product,” he said.

Brockman declined to identify the product, and noted other “certain products” have been quarantined – meaning they cannot be transferred or sold – while an investigation continues.

No other Vext-owned cannabis stores or stores at other companies are affected, he added.

Vext’s five other cannabis stores and its Tier 1 cultivation facility remain operational, according to the press release.

How big is cannabis MSO Vext Sciences?

Vext entered Ohio in 2023 – before voters legalized adult-use cannabis in 2024 – via acquisitions.

In October of that year, Vext purchased two MMJ dispensaries, a Tier 1 cultivation facility and a manufacturing operation from  Big Perm’s Dispensary Ohio for $9.8 million.

That came on the heels of the company purchasing Jackson, Ohio-based Appalachian Pharm Processing along with its subsidiaries and affiliated companies.

The company opened its sixth Ohio store in June and had planned to open a seventh in Columbus early next year as it approaches the state limit of eight stores, according to its most recent public filings.

Following a broader industry trend, Vext deliberately reallocated resources to Ohio after closing an Arizona cultivation facility and relying instead on third-party cultivators, according to filings.

Jackson, Ohio is also where the company’s 50-acre cultivation and manufacturing operations are located, as per filings.

The company reported about $315,000 in losses in the second quarter of 2026 on $12.1 million in sales, according to filings. That’s down from $1.4 million in reported losses on $13.4 million in sales a year ago.