Ohio brought a lawsuit against nine multistate cannabis operators (“MSOs”) in February 2026. The complaint states that MSOs are often vertically-integrated companies across the cultivation, processing and dispensing supply chain to distribute their branded products within a state. The complaint alleges the defendants have conspired to form cartels which limit the availability of independent Ohio cannabis companies’ products to Ohio consumers in order to keep prices artificially elevated.   The complaint alleges that the defendant MSOs have engaged in at least three anticompetitive strategies: (1) the use of reciprocal supply agreements in different states and dispensary shelf space allotments, which reduce competition between the defendants and prevent independent competitors from winning shelf space and reaching customers; (2) the exchange of competitively sensitive non-public information about their promotional plans and their terms with non-MSO suppliers; and (3) the implementation of discriminatory supply arrangements and promotional terms by defendants which favor each other and are not available to non-MSO dispensaries.  The complaint brings claims that this conduct violates Ohio’s antitrust laws.