Ohio Pre-Roll Single-Serving Regulations

A whole new pre-roll market is opening up before our eyes as Ohio’s recreational program is finally allowing pre-rolls – or “Single serving units,” as the state calls them – to be sold throughout the Buckeye State.

In the first month Ohio smokers were allowed to buy pre-rolls (August 2025), retailers sold more than 20,500 units, with revenue topping $212,000. And it’s only the beginning, as pre-roll sales have exploded with hockey stick curve growth in every state when they are allowed.

Now is the time for Ohio cannabis brands to stake their claim to this category with high-quality pre-rolls that get customers talking.

But Ohio’s Division of Cannabis Control in August released a new guidelines document on “Single Serving Units” that is going to shape the entire market, and any producer/processor interested in getting involved in the fastest growing cannabis category in the nation is going to have to play by the state’s new regulations.

So what are the new rules for pre-rolls in Ohio?

Don’t worry, from packing to packaging, the Pre-Roll Experts have you covered!

What is a “Single Serving Unit” in Ohio?

For all intents and purposes, a “single serving unit” is legal speak for what the rest of us call a “pre-roll," the modern industry’s manufactured version of the classic joint.

Pre-rolls are flower packed into a pre-rolled cone or tube, usually with a filter or crutch of some sort, and designed to be portable, inexpensive and easy-to-smoke. They can be either traditional pre-rolls made with just flower (which Ohio labels “raw”) or infused with a concentrate, or concentrates, like resins, rosins, oils, terpenes or kief as a way to boost potency and flavor (called “infused” in Ohio law).

The state also places some additional limits on serving size and packaging. For example, a “raw” can be bigger than 1 gram in size and each “production unit,” or package size is limited to 5 “raw single serving units.”

As for infused pre-rolls, none can be larger than 1 gram and the total THC content is capped at 500mg, with each package limited to 1,500mg of total THC.

Who Can Produce Pre-Rolls in Ohio?

The new guidance document is clear that only licensed processors can manufacture pre-rolls.

There is also a lengthy submission and approval procedure for the new products – including the packaging – and no manufacturer may transfer pre-rolls to a dispensary without receiving a “final, written letter from the Division.”

There is also a detailed naming convention for pre-roll product IDs that must be followed within Ohio’s track and trace system, so be sure to check out the DCC’s Guidance document to make sure you stay in compliance with all of the state’s specific regulations for single serving pre-roll units.

What are the Regulations on Pre-Roll Packaging?

Along with limits on the number of pre-rolls or amount of THC allowed in a single package, the Ohio DCC also includes several other regulations placed on the packaging.

For example, all pre-roll packaging must meet federal standards for child resistant packaging and tamper-evident.

The guidance doc also includes a list of packaging, including mylar bags, plastic pop-top “doob tubes,” tins, jars and other containers, that have been pre-approved by the division. If used exactly as listed, manufacturers only need to file a document with the Division.

Producers can also use packaging that meets the standards but is not on the list, though in that case they must provide proof that the packaging meets the child resistant requirements, which any reputable packaging supplier should have on hand.

As for the tamper-evident requirement, jars, tins and boxes must be shrink-wrapped or have stickers than seal the lid and body while plastic tubes can use shrink wrap, heat seals or stickers that seal the lid and the tube. Bags must be heat-sealed.

There are also labeling requirements, including warnings, symbols, batch and lab testing information and a full ingredient list, including paper, filter/crutch and any additives, all with specific font requirements. In the templates provided, for example, one lists the ingredients as “cannabis plant material, rolling paper (rice, cellulose)” while the other lists “Cannabis plant material, rolling paper (flax).”

For infused pre-rolls, the label must also conform with state law that requires a disclosure or the type of extraction process used. For example, the sample ingredients on the included template for infused pre-rolls include “Cannabis plant material, cannabis oil, hemp-derived CBD distillate, rolling paper (flax)” and the line “Extracted with butane.”

Ohio Pre-Roll Testing Requirements

Single serving pre-roll units are also subject to lab testing. The plant material must be tested according to state law before it goes from cultivator to processer, but the single serving unit itself – the pre-roll – must also be tested in its final form, including the rolling paper.

“Raw” Ohio pre-rolls, including the rolling paper, must be tested for:

• Pesticides;
• Moisture Content;
• Water Activity;
• Foreign Matter;
• Potency;
• Microbial Contaminants;
• Mycotoxins; and
• Heavy Metals.

Infused pre-rolls must be tested for the same things, as well as residual solvents.

But because the rolling papers used to make the pre-rolls are included as part of the test, it is important for Ohio pre-roll companies to make sure their rolling papers and cones are as clean as the flower they pack into them. And there have been instances of rolling papers causing testing failures.

Because of this, pre-roll manufacturers need to be especially careful in their choice of paper supplier to ensure that the cones you pack your pre-rolls in don’t cause an entire batch of product to need to be destroyed, or worse.

For example, Custom Cones USA always tests all of its pre rolled cones, tubes and other products to the strictest standards in the industry for pesticides, microbials and heavy metals, and keep the documents on hand so you can verify.

Because it is not required, not all pre-roll suppliers do this, so producers need to be careful who they partner with. A testing failure can be cumbersome and costly, especially for smaller businesses, and can follow a company and its products even after the issue is corrected.

Final Thought on Ohio Pre-Rolls

Though the rules may seem a little strict or cumbersome, they will quickly become second nature for pre-roll producers in the state.

And the pre-roll market juice is absolutely worth the squeeze. In 2024, pre-rolls were the fastest-growing category in the industry, driving growth even as revenue in other categories were falling. By year’s end, pre-rolls generated more than $3.1 billion in revenue, selling more than 319.7 million units for a 15% market share.

So as you can see, pre-rolls are a vital part of any cannabis marketplace and any successful company’s product portfolio.

Pre-rolls are a near perfect palette for innovation and a relatively inexpensive opportunity for consumers to try new brands and new strains, making them a top add-on at dispensaries all across the nation.

For more information on making high-quality pre-rolls or making sure you have the paper, packaging and labels you need to stay in compliance, contact the Pre-Roll Experts today to see how Custom Cones USA can partner with your business for a successful launch or scaling to meet needs.