The Ohio Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 86 Wednesday, aimed at restricting sales of intoxicating hemp products. Lawmakers say it's a step to put rules in place for products currently not regulated.
The bill would still allow these hemp products to be sold, but only at licensed marijuana dispensaries, which only cater to customers 21 and older. Lawmakers' concerns are that these products can be sold in places where kids can buy them, like gas stations, because they're unregulated. Critics say, however, that this change could hurt small businesses.
"Due to a lack of regulations, the intoxicating hemp industry has been able to confuse Ohio consumers and law enforcement by marketing themselves as dispensaries with recreational marijuana," said Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City).
"It's written as a regulatory bill, but because the THC limits are so strict, it's essentially a prohibition bill," said Jim Higdon, co-founder of Cornbread Hemp. Higdon says he supports safety regulations, but he believes these restrictions will devastate small businesses and limit consumer access to legal, federally approved products.
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