State Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, has introduced a bill to ban the sale of intoxicating cannabis products in Ohio.
– presented the Republican MP Senate Bill 326 on Thursday. State lawmakers are scheduled to return to the Ohio Statehouse next week to begin the lame duck.
SB 326 defines intoxicating hemp products as containing more than 0.5 milligrams of delta-9 THC per serving, two milligrams of delta-9 THC per package, or 0.5 milligrams of total non-delta-9 THC per package, according to SB 326. language bill.
“It is hereby declared that this Act is an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health and safety,” the bill reads. “The reason this is necessary is to protect Ohioans, especially Ohio youth, from untested and unregulated dangerous products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Therefore, this Act enters into force with immediate effect.”
Under the bill, marijuana, which is legal in Ohio, is not classified as an intoxicating cannabis product. Recreational marijuana sales in Ohio recently topped $143.4 million since sales began three months ago, according to the.com Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Cannabis Control.
The 2018 Farm Bill says hemp can be grown legally if it contains less than 0.3% THC. Intoxicating cannabis products can come in many forms, including but not narrow to edibles, beverages, vaping cartridges, or oils.
Delta-9 THC is the main, naturally occurring intoxicating part of cannabis, and people typically experience a high after consuming or smoking delta-9 THC above a certain threshold.
Under SB 326, the Ohio Criminal Investigations Unit would enforce the legislation if it were to become law, with assistance from the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce (currently Sheryl Maxfield) can impose an administrative penalty on a person selling intoxicating cannabis products – $10,000 for the first violation, $25,000 for the second and $50,000 for the third violation.
Violating the proposed law would be a first-degree misdemeanor for a first offense and a fifth-degree misdemeanor for a second offense, under the bill’s language. Selling intoxicating cannabis to a person under 21 would be a fifth-degree felony.
Other Cannabis Laws
This isn’t the first bill Huffman has introduced this year that involves hemp products.
State Sens. Kirk Schuring, R-Canton, and Huffman introduced SB 278 in May that would ban the sale of adult-use cannabis products to anyone under 21. The bill would also require stores to keep adult-use cannabis products behind the counter and identify customers who want to buy those products.
In the chamber, state Rep. Sara Carruthers, R-Hamilton, introduced herself House Bill 642 in the summer, which would require Ohio’s Director of Agriculture to issue recommendations for adult-use cannabis products.
All of these bills were passed after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine he appealed to lawmakers earlier this year ban or regulate delta-8 THC products. Delta-8 is made from hemp, but because it contains 0.3% THC or less, it is not currently regulated. There is no age restriction for purchasing delta-8 products.
Seventeen states have banned delta-8 And seven more are subject to restrictions, according to the National Cannabis Industry Association.
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