Ohio Lawmakers Planning to Pass Intoxicating Hemp Law Before Thanksgiving 

Ohio lawmakers are seeking to pass legislation to reform the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the state before their Thanksgiving recess, the Dayton Daily News reports. Select House and Senate lawmakers are set to hold a conference committee to create a proposal. 

Lawmakers from both chambers want age restrictions and safety testing on the products — but the Senate wants to limit sales to only licensed dispensaries, while House lawmakers want to create a license for the products akin to the state’s adult-use framework.  

Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R) estimates that intoxicating hemp products can be bought at about 6,000 retailers in the state and do not require ID to purchase. Huffman told the Daily News that “all of that is going away.” 

A bill passed through the legislature would provide more clarity for the products in the state, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in October attempted to ban sales of for 90 days via executive order; however, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Carl Aveni ordered a 14-day pause on the ban on October 14 and later extended that pause to 90 days, delaying enforcement of the ban until December 2.