Ohio Capital Journal: Backers of hemp regulation bill say intoxicating hemp products threaten Ohio’s marijuana industry

SOURCE: Ohio Capital Journal

EXCERPT:

Ohioans in the marijuana business, poison control workers, and religious organizations testified Tuesday in support of a bill that would regulate intoxicating hemp and drinkable cannabinoid products.

Ohio Senate Bill 86 would require intoxicating hemp products to only be sold at adult-use dispensaries instead of allowing them to be sold at convenience stores, smoke shops, or gas stations. The bill would also impose a 15% tax on intoxicating hemp products and ban sales to anyone under 21.

“Ohio’s legal cannabis industry is facing a growing crisis,” said Joshua Smith, the owner of Southern Ohio Botanicals, a licensed dispensary in Pike County. “Fake, pop-up, poser dispensaries are exploiting loopholes in hemp laws to sell legitimate cannabis while misleading consumers into believing they are licensed establishments.”

Eleven people, including Smith, submitted testimony in support of S.B. 86 during Tuesday’s Ohio Senate General Government Committee meeting.

Ohio state Sens. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, and Shane Wilkin, R-Hillsboro, introduced S.B. 86, which would only allow intoxicating hemp products to be sold at dispensaries if the products have been tested and comply with standards for packaging, labeling, and advertising. It would only apply to products that can be ingested or inhaled.

The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill says hemp can be legally grown if it contains less than 0.3% THC. Ohio is one of about 20 states that does have any regulations around intoxicating hemp products, according to an Ohio State University Drug Enforcement and Policy Center study from November 2024.

“These unregulated dispensaries demonstrate a failure in Ohio’s marijuana program,” Smith said. “Without oversight, we have no way of verifying where their cannabis is sourced from or if it has been properly tested for safety. Unlike regulated dispensaries, where all products are prepackaged and lab-tested, these rogue shops weigh out cannabis in front of customers with no quality control measures in place.”