Ohio’s hemp ban is now in effect

VW independent staff/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Senate Bill 56 officially took effect last Friday in Ohio, and the state’s Division of Cannabis Control is explaining what Ohioans will – and won’t – see on licensed cannabis dispensary shelves going forward.

Senate Bill 56 bans the manufacture and sale of intoxicating hemp products. Many of these products, including hemp-derived beverages as well as items that were marketed as candies, cereals, and gummies to appeal to children, were untested and sold outside of Ohio’s regulated cannabis market. Those items are now banned and unavailable to purchase legally anywhere in Ohio. Any product containing more than 0.4mg of total THC per container is considered marijuana and is prohibited from being sold outside of a cannabis dispensary licensed by the Division of Cannabis Control.

All products sold within dispensaries are marijuana products, including marijuana beverages that meet the state’s testing, packaging, and labeling standards. Every item sold in an Ohio‑licensed dispensary must be grown, processed, and tested within facilities approved by the Division of Cannabis Control. All products must also meet the state’s strict child‑resistant packaging requirements before reaching consumers.

Adult consumers should look for the DCC seal on individual product packaging, which verifies that a product has met the state’s safety standards.

“Prior to last Friday, Ohioans, including children, could legally purchase intoxicating hemp products that were untested, unregulated and unsafe – that is no longer the case,” DCC Superintendent Jim Canepa said. “Consumer safety is our highest priority, and we will continue to enforce the rules required of our licensees to ensure every product that appears on an Ohio dispensary shelf meets the highest standards of safety.”

Using non-medical cannabis under the age of 21 is prohibited, and the Division reminds adults that providing cannabis to minors can lead to fines and possible jail time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can adversely affect developing brains, which continue maturing until the age of 25. Preventing access to cannabis products by children, teens and pregnant women is critical in protecting their safety and health.