Lawmakers respond to judge pausing intoxicating hemp ban

OHIO — Ohio’s lawmakers are now responding to a judge’s ruling to temporarily lift the governor’s ban on intoxicating hemp products.

Governor Mike DeWine recently banned those products for 90 days, but a Franklin County judge has put that ruling on hold for two weeks.

The Republican speaker of the Ohio House said when it comes to intoxicating hemp he’s concerned with two things: where it can be purchased and the dosage. On the other side, Democratic leaders are hoping to pass a bill that takes a middle-of-the-road approach.

But for now, Ohioans can continue to buy hemp gummies and drinks from any store in the state that wants to sell them.

The judge temporarily paused the governor’s ban on intoxicating hemp products in response to a lawsuit filed by three businesses. 

But in his ruling – he specifically urged lawmakers to regulate hemp and to do so without delay.

House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D) joining lawmakers from both parties in agreeing that legislation needs to be put in place.

“We already know how to do it we do it for tobacco, we do it for alcohol,” Isaacsohn said “So, we have to also do it for intoxicating hemp for marijuana there’s clearly an opportunity for a bipartisan compromise here.”

It’s something House Speaker Matt Huffman (R) expects will get done in the next few weeks – but he said figuring out the details seems to be what’s holding it back.

“Everyone sort of starts off with a comment, ‘we don’t want Delta eight products being sold to children in stores,’ that’s of course everybody agrees,” Huffman said. “There’s a lot of other details that need to be worked out, so I think that perhaps that a 14 day TRO only muddies the water, worse than it was before.”

Over in the senate, Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D) said she wants to make sure there’s clear guidance for the stores that sell that product while protecting children.

“I’m hoping some of my other colleagues are hearing from business owners who are saying ‘what am I supposed to do? how do I follow the law? what do I do with my product?’” Antonio said. “I got a call from someone ‘do I have to lay off my staff? I don’t know what to do.’”

The judge has scheduled a hearing for October 28 to decide whether the governor’s ban will go back in place.

But for all the lawmakers Spectrum News 1 spoke — including Senate President Rob McColley – they said protecting Ohio’s children should be the top priority.

“Just for the safety of children generally, we need to make sure that we put some very basic protections in place,” McColley said. “To make sure that it’s truly, if we’re going to allow this to be sold it’s only adults that are purchasing this and it’s not in containers that a child, children can get into.”