At a suburban Cincinnati farmers market, Ohioans pick up marijuana plants to grow at home

OG Article

Randy Tucker

02-12-2025

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio – As soon as visitors walked in the door of the main building at the Horsepower Farm last weekend they were inundated with the earthy smell of cannabis.

Inside, more than 30 vendors set up stands hawking everything marijuana-related, from LED lights and other grow equipment to cannabis seeds, immature plants, and clones, which are cuttings taken from mother plants and then developed into adult plants.

Growing cannabis at home became legal for adults in Ohio in December 2023. Most of the attendees at this farmers market about 30 miles north of Cincinnati were looking for a long-term solution to accessing cannabis legally while offsetting the cost of buying it at a dispensary.

"I bought some plants so I can grow my own instead of going to the dispensary," said 58-year-old Ezell Esters, from Columbus, who said he's going to try growing cannabis for the first time. "It's much cheaper, and you kind of have control over your own thing. We'll see what happens."

Ohiocannabis.com has sponsored nearly a dozen cannabis festivals and farmers markets over the past year, including the one in Middletown.

The next event, a cannabis festival with live performances, is scheduled to take place May 17 at the Crawford Barn in Frazeysburg, Ohio – close to Zanesville, according to John Lutz, founder of Ohiocannabis.com.

The farmers market had everything you'd need for your own cannabis starter kit, including the plants, which ranged in price from about $30-$70, depending on the size. They can take anywhere from four to eight months to fully mature and can produce about 17 ounces of bud per plant.

Ohioans, on average, were paying about $210 for an ounce of bud at a dispensary at the end of last year, according to the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, which tracks average prices of recreational cannabis statewide on a weekly basis.

Expert cultivators offered guidance

Expert cultivators – many of whom had experience working for licensed cultivators in Ohio – were also on hand at the farmers market to teach growing fundamentals and help consumers avoid mistakes that could foil a successful grow.

Festivals bring together 'community and culture' of cannabis

Lutz said his farmers markets and festivals are held "to bring together the community and culture of cannabis here in Ohio. They also focus on home-growers, "because they're the ones that have been left behind during all this legalization,'' he said.

It's been nearly a decade since medical marijuana became legal in Ohio in June 2016 when Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 523 into law, but growing plants for personal use wasn't allowed under the law.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time,'' said Missy Radner, 66, a medical cannabis patient who has been an advocate for legal cannabis since before it was first made legal in the state. "I won't lie. I used to grow my own before it was legal. Now, I can do it without being afraid that the cops are going to kick my door in.''

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Home-growers must grow in secured enclosed area

Radner bought a few clones for $20 apiece and intends to grow them in a homemade greenhouse in her backyard in Columbus.

The cultivation or growing of cannabis may only take place within a secured, enclosed area in or on the grounds of a primary residence that's not accessible by anyone under age 21, according to Ohio law.

Those over age 21 are allowed to grow up to six plants, while households with two or more adults age 21 and over can grow up to 12 plants.

Only dispensaries licensed by Cannabis Control can sell marijuana in Ohio for medical or recreational use.

Farmers market host donates proceeds to charity

Rick "Opie" Willis, who owns Horsepower, said he was excited to see such a large turnout for the farmers market, which cost $20 for general admission and drew more than 1,000 attendees to his 26-acre farm.

Willis said he built Horsepower in the wake of the pandemic as a "man cave'' and place to store his collection of muscle cars, including a Camaro and other Chevy models made at GM's old Norwood Assembly Plant.

But he began renting out the largest building on the property a few years ago for various events, with all of the proceeds going to charities, such as Habitat for Humanity and the Wounded Warrior Project.

"This (farmers market) makes so much money that we can give away, and every dollar we make we give away,'' Willis said, declining to give figures. He said the proceeds from the farmers market would likely go to The Matt Haverkamp Foundation, which supplies police dogs to local agencies.

"This is the second time I've done this,'' Willis said. "The first time I did it (in June 2024), I had no idea what was going to go on. We had like 60 or 70 vendors last year with more than 1,000 people outside in the parking lot.

"It's not just about getting high for a lot of them,'' he said, referring to the attendees. "A lot of them just want to get rid of their (expletive) pain. I see nothing wrong with that.''