“Given the lack of regulations, the intoxicating hemp industry has been able to confuse Ohio consumers and law enforcement.”
By Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal
A pair of Ohio Republican state senators need intoxicating hemp merchandise to be offered solely at adult-use dispensaries—not comfort shops, smoke retailers or gasoline stations.
Ohio state Sens. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) and Shane Wilkin (R-Hillsboro) launched Senate Bill 86, which might additionally impose a 15 p.c tax on intoxicating hemp merchandise offered at dispensaries and ban the sale of intoxicating hemp merchandise to anybody underneath 21.
“Currently, intoxicating hemp products are untested, unregulated psychoactive products that can be just as intoxicating, if not more intoxicating, than marijuana,” Wilkin mentioned in his sponsor testimony to the Senate General Government Committee on Tuesday.
The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill says hemp might be grown legally if it accommodates lower than 0.3 p.c THC.
Ohio is certainly one of about 20 states that doesn’t have any rules round intoxicating hemp merchandise, in accordance with an Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center examine from November 2024. Fifteen states ban these merchandise. Seven states, together with Michigan, regulate it like hashish, whereas seven different states regulate it like client items, in accordance with the examine.
“Given the lack of regulations, the intoxicating hemp industry has been able to confuse Ohio consumers and law enforcement by marketing themselves as ‘dispensaries’ with ‘recreational marijuana,’” Huffman mentioned in his testimony.
Under the invoice, intoxicating hemp merchandise would solely be offered at dispensaries if the merchandise have been examined and adjust to requirements for packaging, labeling and promoting. The invoice would solely apply to merchandise that may be ingested or inhaled.
“To suppress the illicit market, this bill prohibits hemp products that are not sold in dispensaries from marketing the products as marijuana, using any terms associated with the sale of the product that would cause a consumer to infer the product is marijuana or that the entity selling the product is a marijuana dispensary,” Huffman mentioned in his testimony.
He had a invoice within the final General Assembly that might have banned the sale of all intoxicating hemp products, but it surely wasn’t in a position to make it out of committee. Hemp enterprise homeowners testified in opposition to the invoice since it might finish their livelihood, however they spoke in favor of rules.
SB 86 would additionally regulate drinkable cannabinoid merchandise.
“The bill also authorizes the manufacture and sale of low-dose drinkable cannabinoid products in Ohio’s dispensaries, craft breweries, bars and restaurants, and carry-outs, and imposes a $3.50 per gallon excise tax on manufacturers, similar to how we tax alcohol,” Huffman mentioned in his testimony.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has repeatedly requested lawmakers to regulate or ban delta-8 THC products and Wilkin thanked DeWine for calling consideration to this challenge.
“The administration has been a consistent voice in warning of the dangers of this unregulated, untested, and dangerous market, and we’re thankful for their efforts once again on this issue,” Wilkin mentioned.
This story was first published by Ohio Capital Journal.
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