Ohio lawmakers are expected to decide soon on a bill that would restrict sales of intoxicating hemp-derived THC products, including increasingly popular beverages, to state-licensed cannabis stores.
The potential vote on Senate Bill 56 in the state House, coupled with an executive order from Gov. Mike DeWine temporarily banning the products, is creating anxiety among the thousands of retailers carrying the products, according to the Dayton Business Journal.
DeWine’s Oct. 9 executive order would have banned the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the state from Oct. 14 until Jan. 12, 2026.
That follows the lead of other states, including California and Texas, where governors have stepped into curb what many critics say is a poorly regulated market.
But Ohio’s ban has since been put on temporary pause by a state judge amid a lawsuit from three hemp companies challenging its legality.
A hearing in that case is scheduled for Oct. 28.
Vote to limit hemp-THC products to Ohio marijuana stores looms
In the meantime, lawmakers are expected to vote on Senate Bill 56 on Wednesday, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
The bill would restrict sales of hemp-derived THC products, including drinks and gummies with delta-8 THC, to state-licensed marijuana businesses, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
That bill passed the Senate earlier this year but is still awaiting movement in the House before it can become law.
“We don’t want delta-8 products being sold to children in stores,” Republican state House Speaker Matt Huffman told the Journal.
“Everybody agrees on that.”
Ohio hemp-derived THC restriction would harm businesses, brewers
But advocates for the burgeoning hemp-THC drinks sector voiced concern over limiting the products’ availability to licensed cannabis businesses instead of the liquor stores and bars selling the products by the can or on tap.
Hemp beverages are a “vital new revenue stream” for small businesses such as craft brewers amid declining alcohol sales, according to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.
“The production and sale of intoxicating hemp beverages are a natural evolution for our industry,” said Mary MacDonald, the association’s executive director, according to the Business Journal.
Sales of hemp-THC beverages nationwide topped $1 billion last year, according to one estimate.
