Ravenna nets $440K in taxes from adult cannabis sales – Record-Courier
More than a year after a dispensary in Ravenna started selling adult-use cannabis, Ravenna is finally starting to receive tax revenue.
The city recently received a $441,279.53 payment from the Ohio Department of Taxation in tax money from its one dispensary, Supergood, which opened as a medical marijuana dispensary in 2023. Supergood later expanded to include adult-use cannabis in 2024.
City officials said the payment represents 16 months of taxes dating to July 2024. Ravenna will receive monthly payments going forward.
It’s unclear how the opening of other dispensaries, including in Streetsboro, will alter the payments.
Ravenna Councilwoman Carmen Laudato, who called the news “happy” and “joyous,” said she hopes more revenue will stay in Ohio thanks to changes in state law. Other council members said they were happy to be receiving the funds, noting that there was a time when it looked as though the city would not receive any tax dollars.
The money will go into the city’s general fund. Mayor Frank Seman noted that the money is almost exactly equivalent to the amount the city used to purchase Sunbeau Valley Farm in Ravenna Township, while Councilwoman Amy Michael said the funds represent about a third of the purchase price.
Council members said they wanted to have a discussion about what to do with future funds going forward. Options included funding acquisition of land for the city’s needs, or to fund construction of the safety building.
“A lot of residents are going to want to know,” Councilwoman Christina West said. “We’re putting an income tax on the ballot. How much money is the city of Ravenna putting toward these safety buildings? And if we have this revenue coming in, to be able to say we’re going to be able to put some money toward it is going to be very promising to see.”
Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at dsmith@recordpub.com.
