Herbal Wellness Center, a dispensary in Jackson, voluntarily closed at the request of Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control on Sept. 1. The closure occurred while the DCC investigated two cases of “serious adverse health events” connected to products sold at the dispensary, according to a Sept. 4 press release by Vext Science, the owner of the dispensary.
The dispensary reopened on Sept. 17, according to a Vext Science press release.
Vext Science is an Arizona cannabis operator with businesses in both Arizona and Ohio. The DCC was informed by law enforcement of the two adverse health events and requested the dispensary close pending investigation.
Scott Everett, general counsel for Vext Science, said the product under investigation was from the brand Vapen, which is distillate cartridges manufactured by Vext Science.
Everett said the product is on a voluntary hold and not being sold amid further testing.
Jamie Crawford, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce, discussed the DCC’s findings after conducting the investigation.
“The Division has received test results that confirm the products in question, including those from the same product lot as ones purchased, did not contain any contaminants and were not tampered with,” Crawford wrote in an email.
Crawford continued in the same email that the DCC does not expect to issue a recall of the product because contaminants did not appear during the initial or follow-up testing. However, the products are on hold and cannot be sold or transferred in Ohio.
Everett said Vext Science voluntarily decided to temporarily close Herbal Wellness Center and, while encouraged by the DCC, was not forced to do so.
“I would just say we took these actions in partnership with the DCC, and mainly out of an abundance of caution,” Everett said.
Vext Science shared in the initial press release DCC has not shared “specific information concerning the individuals involved, the products allegedly used, the dates or circumstances of any purchases or any other information that would allow the Company to independently assess the reported medical events or determine whether there is any connection between such events and Vext products.”
Everett shared Vext Science’s perspective on the temporary closing of Herbal Wellness Center.
“We did not have a concern and do not have a concern today regarding the safety of our products or the compliance of our program,” Everett said. “So we were confident that we'd be permitted to reopen.”
All of that comes after Ohio has seen numerous changes in regulation of the purchase and sale of marijuana in recent years.
In 2023, Issue 2 passed in Ohio, which legalized the sale and use of recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21. In December 2025, Senate Bill 56 was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine. SB 56 went into effect in March and added provisions to Ohio’s initial marijuana laws.
Some of the changes included no longer allowing residential cultivation of weed at type A and B childcare centers, halfway houses, community residential centers or other similar facilities licensed by Ohio’s Division of Parole and Community Services.
SB 56 maintained the amount of cannabis a person is allowed to possess, but tightened the definition of legal cannabis to only allow cannabis sold at a dispensary or legally grown at home. That officially excluded cannabis purchased in another state or on an illicit market.
SB 56 also created a cap of 400 registered dispensaries for the state. According to the ODC, Ohio currently has 228 dispensaries with a Certificate of Operation. Athens County currently has four registered dispensaries, including Bloom Medicinals, Firelands Scientific, Herbal Wellness Center Athens and Mavuno of Athens. SB 56 also prohibited the cultivation and sale of all intoxicating hemp products, according to a March press release by the ODC.
The 2018 Farm Bill established the legal definition of hemp as cannabis with no more than 0.3% of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol content. Both hemp and cannabis are derived from the Cannabis Sativa L. plant.
When SB 56 came into effect in March, Buddy’s Lounge on Court Street was forced to close as they primarily sold hemp products, according to a previous report from The Post.
Niya Williams, a junior studying art therapy, shared what they noticed following the implementation of SB 56.
“I've noticed that it's, like I said, just made people have to find (cannabis) elsewhere and put people out of work, and I feel like it took away a lot of people's access to having a regulated, safe place to go,” Williams said.
