Ohio House Passes Compromise Hemp and Cannabis Legislation

Working late into Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, Ohio House lawmakers voted to pass a Senate proposal containing new restrictions on hemp-derived THC products and changes to the state’s adult-use cannabis regulations, the Statehouse News Bureau reports.

The proposal, Senate Bill 56, was amended in a conference committee before passing the House in a 52-34 vote around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. Lawmakers called the conference committee between the two legislative chambers after the Senate voted unanimously to reject the House’s initial amendments to the bill.

Nine House Republicans joined the majority of Democrats in voting against the proposal, but the bill still garnered enough support to pass. The proposal will have to pass the Senate again before it can go to the governor for his signature.

Lawmakers previously said they wanted to pass new hemp and cannabis legislation before their break for Thanksgiving next week. However, the Senate appears unlikely to consider the conference committee’s amendments to Senate Bill 56 before the holiday, the report said.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) issued an executive order last month to ban the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the state for 90 days. The order, however, was blocked in court after three hemp companies sued, claiming the governor’s executive order violates state and federal law.

Meanwhile, President Trump (R) this month signed a federal spending bill that will effectively ban intoxicating hemp products in all 50 U.S. states starting in November 2026.