Ohio Hemp and Cannabis Changes Take Effect This Week
- Ohio's new hemp regulations and adult-use cannabis reforms take effect on March 19, banning intoxicating hemp product sales and setting THC limits of 70% for concentrates and 35% for flower products.
- The rules establish new crimes for possession of cannabis from out-of-state sources and require cannabis to be stored in original packaging and kept in the trunk during transit.
- A repeal campaign is underway, trying to gather 250,000 signatures by March 19 to postpone the rules' implementation and let voters decide on the legislation.
- Governor Mike DeWine signed the changes into law in December, vetoed a hemp THC beverage provision, and criticized repeal advocates for opposing the changes to voter-approved reforms.
Changes to Ohio’s hemp regulations and the state’s voter-approved adult-use cannabis reforms are set to take effect this week on Thursday, March 19.
Under the new rules, intoxicating hemp product sales are banned. The rules also create new THC caps of 70% for cannabis concentrate products and 35% for cannabis flower products, and establish new crimes for the possession of cannabis products from out-of-state sources. The rules will also require cannabis to be stored in its original packaging and stored in the trunk of vehicles during transit.
The changes, which Gov. Mike DeWine (R) signed into law in December, prompted a ballot campaign to repeal the legislation.
Advocates with the campaign are scrambling to collect the 250,000 signatures required to qualify for the ballot before March 19, as that would postpone the rules’ implementation until after the electorate decides, Cleveland.com reports.
DeWine said in February that the advocates behind the repeal campaign should stop “whining” about lawmakers changing the voter-approved reforms.
The legislation originally included a carve-out for hemp THC-infused beverage products, but the governor line-item vetoed that provision.