Fans of THC gummies, edibles and hemp drinks, take note: Today is your last day to stock up at your favorite corner store, bar or brewery.
As required by Senate Bill 56, all hemp-derived products will leave the shelves come tomorrow and restricted to sales only at state-approved dispensaries.
That ban moves forward despite an effort by hemp activists, led by Ohioans for Cannabis Choice, to reverse S.B. 56’s effects with a referendum on the statewide ballot this November. A spokesperson for OCC announced this week they fell short of collecting the the necessary 250,000 signatures.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to overcome a truncated time period to give voters the chance to say no to government overreach,” spokesperson Dennis Willard said.
“This doesn’t change the reality that marijuana will be re-criminalized in Ohio,” he added, “businesses will close, workers will lose their jobs, and consumers will be denied their right to products they should be able to purchase.”
Although Ohioans agreed in 2023, via the passing of state Issue 2, that they’re in favor of legalizing recreational weed, those products are now destined, by law, to be heavily regulated. Patrons’ IDs are recorded. Product is rarely kept on store floors. And access to anywhere beyond the floor is a huge no-no for non-employees.
By design, the THC content in hemp drinks is low. But Gov. Mike DeWine worried that gummies and edibles masquerading as kids’ candy would fall into the wrong hands. Calls to the state’s Poison Control Center have tripled for kids five and under in the past three years, he said.
They are “designed clearly, clearly to mimic candy,” he said. “To entice children to consume these. There is no check on age—anyone can walk in and buy one of these.”
Not anymore, as intended by S.B. 56.
Along with putting hemp drinks and gummies in dispensaries, and monitored under the state’s Division of Cannabis Control, the new law practically rewrites criminal code. Property owners can outlaw weed on their properties. Homegrowing for friends is a no-no, as is schlepping up to Michigan for stickier icky.
And driving while high could now cost someone up to two months in jail and up to five months of probation.
Moreover, bars and restaurants caught selling THC drinks could be liable for up to $500 in fines for every day those drinks are still lining the cooler. Proposed legislation, S.B. 86, would slap purveyors with a misdemeanor up to a potential fifth-degree felony.
Subscribe to Cleveland Scene newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter