COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Senate General Government Committee held its first hearing Thursday on Senate Bill 326, which seeks to ban certain hemp-derived products containing small amounts of THC. The bill, introduced by Sen. Stephen Huffman, is aimed at prohibiting intoxicating hemp products like Delta-8 THC, which he argues pose safety risks. However, many Ohioans are worried that the bill’s broad restrictions could impact therapeutic full-spectrum CBD products, threatening access to the non-intoxicating options many rely on.
During the hearing, Sen. Huffman focused on what he described as an urgent need to regulate intoxicating hemp products that have flooded Ohio’s market, citing public safety as a primary concern. “Intoxicating hemp products are untested, unregulated psychoactive products that can be just as intoxicating, if not more, than marijuana,” Huffman said. He expressed concern over products containing synthetic compounds, some with far stronger effects than traditional THC, which he warned are often marketed to younger consumers in the form of candies, gummies, and other appealing products.
Despite Huffman’s assurances that the bill carves out room for non-intoxicating CBD products, some Ohio residents remain unconvinced. Diane Robertson, a 70-year-old resident and long-time user of full-spectrum CBD, is one of many worried that the bill would make accessing her preferred therapeutic products nearly impossible. “There has been nothing, no narcotic I have taken at all, that has done the work that these [full-spectrum CBD] oils have done,” Robertson said. She relies on these oils to manage sciatic nerve pain and a condition similar to trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain disorder. “If full-spectrum CBD was banned, I would probably try to seek out another avenue to get it since it works. I don’t know how they could do that to people if there’s so much testimony that it’s working for pain.”
Robertson, like other citizens speaking on the issue, sees the bill as a sweeping measure that could harm the very people it claims to protect. She urged lawmakers to reconsider.
Senate Bill 326’s Potential Impact on Ohio’s Hemp Industry
If enacted, S.B. 326 would prohibit products containing more than 0.5 mg of THC per serving or 2 mg per package. Industry leaders argue that this cap would effectively eliminate many full-spectrum CBD products that, while containing trace levels of THC, are non-intoxicating and widely used for therapeutic purposes. Wellness centers like Sunmed | Your CBD Store, which serve thousands of Ohio residents, worry that their businesses may not survive if the bill passes in its current form.
The Political Backdrop
The debate over Senate Bill 326 has drawn attention from advocates who see it as a potential first step in scaling back last year’s voter-approved marijuana legalization. The timing and implications of the bill have led many to view it as a broader political maneuver, casting doubt on claims that the sole purpose of the legislation is to protect public safety.
As the bill moves through the legislature, Ohio lawmakers will continue to weigh the concerns of their constituents against Huffman’s warnings about unregulated intoxicating hemp. With testimony from more Ohioans expected in future hearings, the outcome of S.B. 326 will have significant implications for the state’s hemp industry and access to therapeutic hemp products across Ohio.