CLEVELAND — Governor Mike DeWine’s temporary ban on intoxicating hemp, low-level THC products started today, but it was stopped 15 hours later.
A judge in Columbus heard from business owners who sell the hemp items in question, who wanted to halt the ban. That judge agreed, saying there’s now a pause on the sales ban for 14 days, meaning the shops will be able to sell the items for at least the next two weeks while the issue is examined further.
Before the ruling, we searched shops around Cleveland just to see if they were complying with the initial ban, and we found frustration.
“Without the hemp, I can’t survive,” said Sam Haq, who owns the Smoke Land shop on Cleveland’s west side.
He said he had to pack up his intoxicating hemp and smaller-dose THC products after Governor DeWine announced a ban on selling those items.
“And he overstepped his boundaries without a warning,” said Haq. “You can’t give us three or four days. We have a lot of product. What do you want us to do with it?”
We criss-crossed the city, visiting seven shops and found lots of empty shelves where hemp products used to be. We found signs hung by owners about why the items are gone.
One shop on the east side told us it pulled its gummies, but we also noticed the THC-infused drinks behind the counter. There seemed to be confusion about when the ban took effect.
“Today the last day,” said the clerk.
Governor DeWine said he needed to take action on these kinds of products after the legislature didn’t address this gray area of selling items with some THC in them.
“This is a huge problem,” he told us today in Columbus.
He’s hopeful legislators will act on it now, especially with the threat they pose to young people.
“There’s no age-limit on kids when they go in. They can buy this stuff,” said the governor. “This stuff is dangerous. It’s particularly dangerous in regard to children.”
Many of the owners we talked to didn’t want to go on camera, but all told us they don’t sell to kids anyway.
For Haq at Smoke Land, he said the ban is just the first move by DeWine, that he feels a ban on another intoxicating product called Kratom will follow.
“Once the Kratom gets banned, then I’ll lock up the doors,” said Haq. “So, what am I going to do next? Do I have to call Mike DeWine to see if he can give me a loan? I don’t know what else to do.”
One of the hemp lobbyists tells us they are feeling great about the judge’s decision.
Governor DeWine sent a statement about the ruling:
“Ohio voters have opined on where they want cannabis sold by their passage of Issue 2, which passed with the support of 57% of Ohio voters. Issue 2 limited the sale of cannabis to dispensaries. The sale of cannabis as intoxicating hemp in these other venues was never contemplated by the legislature nor approved by Ohio voters. Ohio voters approved a highly-regulated market; they did not approve sales in these other venues. Ohio voters also mandated that products not target children and be tested for safety.
While we continue to fight in court, today’s developments underscore our continued desire to work with the General Assembly to pass permanent legislation regarding intoxicating hemp.”
