Herbal Wellness Center, a dispensary in Jackson, Ohio, is open again after a 16-day closure tied to a state investigation into two reported health incidents.
The dispensary voluntarily closed on Sept. 1 at the request of the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) and reopened on Sept. 17 after the division authorized it, according to press releases from its owner, Vext Science. Vext is a publicly traded cannabis retailer that operates in Ohio and Arizona.
What prompted the closure
The DCC was investigating two cases of what it called “serious adverse health events” connected to products sold at the store. The Post, a student newspaper in Athens, reported that the division learned of the two events from law enforcement and then asked the dispensary to close while it investigated.
Scott Everett, general counsel for Vext Science, told The Post that the product under review was from Vapen, a line of distillate cartridges that Vext manufactures. He said the product is on a voluntary hold and is not being sold while further testing takes place.
What the state found
Jamie Crawford, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce, told The Post in an email that testing did not turn up a problem with the product.
“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.
Crawford also said the DCC does not expect to issue a recall, because contaminants did not appear in the initial or the follow-up testing. The products remain on hold and cannot be sold or transferred in Ohio.
What the company says
In its first statement, dated Sept. 4, Vext said the DCC had not shared information about the people involved, the products they were said to have used, or the circumstances of any purchase, so the company could not independently assess the reported events or determine whether they were connected to its products.
Everett told The Post that the company chose to close the store and was not forced to. “I would just say we took these actions in partnership with the DCC, and mainly out of an abundance of caution,” he said.
“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.
What is still unknown
Neither the state nor the company has publicly described the two health events or said what caused them. The DCC has not announced any link between the Vapen cartridges and the reported events.
Sources
- Vext Science: Vext Announces Reopening of Jackson, Ohio Dispensary (Sept. 17, 2026)
- Vext Science: Vext Provides Operational Update on Jackson, Ohio Dispensary (Sept. 4, 2026)
- The Post (Athens): Jackson dispensary reopens following DCC investigation
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