{"id":58,"date":"2025-05-12T16:45:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/?p=58"},"modified":"2025-05-12T16:45:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T16:45:12","slug":"ohio-hb160-hemp-legislation-opposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/12\/ohio-hb160-hemp-legislation-opposition\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio\u2019s Hemp Industry Under Fire: HB 160 Draws Backlash from Advocates and Small Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On May 8, 2025, the Ohio House Judiciary Committee met to hear <strong>over three hours of testimony opposing House Bill 160 (HB 160)<\/strong> \u2014 a controversial piece of legislation that could dramatically alter how cannabis and hemp products are regulated in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s at stake? According to growers, shop owners, patients, and policy experts \u2014 a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udeab <strong>What\u2019s in HB 160?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>HB 160 would enact broad changes to Ohio\u2019s cannabis rules. Among its most talked-about provisions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hemp Product Sales Restricted<\/strong> \u2013 Only licensed dispensaries could sell intoxicating hemp-derived products like THCa.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Potency Reduction<\/strong> \u2013 THC levels in extract products would be capped at 70%, down from the current 90%.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dispensary Limit<\/strong> \u2013 A statewide cap of 350 dispensaries would be imposed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Funding Shift<\/strong> \u2013 Revenue from cannabis taxes would be rerouted to the General Revenue Fund, eliminating previous community and equity program allocations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public Use Ban<\/strong> \u2013 All public consumption of cannabis would be illegal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Why Are So Many People Opposed?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Over 40 individuals and organizations testified against HB 160. While they came from different backgrounds, their messages overlapped: this bill could harm <strong>small businesses, dismantle equity efforts, restrict patients<\/strong>, and override <strong>Issue 2<\/strong>, the ballot measure voters passed in 2023 to legalize adult-use cannabis in Ohio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\uddd1\u200d\u2696\ufe0f <strong>Voices from the Policy Front<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Karen O\u2019Keefe of the Marijuana Policy Project drew a sharp comparison, asking why Ohio would restrict possession of legally purchased cannabis from other states \u2014 saying it\u2019d be like outlawing Kentucky bourbon bought across state lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local officials like <strong>Lexi Lausten<\/strong>, a trustee from Anderson Township, criticized the state for pulling the rug out from under communities that welcomed dispensaries based on the promise of shared tax revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udecd\ufe0f <strong>Small Businesses on the Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Owners of CBD shops and small grow operations echoed deep concern:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Jaimee Courtney<\/strong>, owner of Sunmed in Bellefontaine, warned that HB 160 would eliminate nearly all of her <strong>full-spectrum hemp products<\/strong>, likely pushing customers to less-safe online marketplaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Saraquoia Bryant<\/strong>, of Cool Digs in Athens, pointed out that the bill would cancel <strong>Level III grow licenses and equity funding<\/strong> \u2014 disproportionately hurting smaller cities and growers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Joey Elwood<\/strong>, a licensed hemp farmer with Appalachian Girls Cannabis, noted that the bill <strong>wouldn\u2019t stop hemp products from flowing into Ohio via online sales<\/strong>, but would <strong>shut down in-state farms and stores<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\uddcd <strong>What About Personal Use?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cannabis advocate <strong>Anthony Riley<\/strong> raised a critical question about how the public use ban would be enforced \u2014 asking where people are supposed to consume if they can\u2019t legally do it in public or at a friend\u2019s house. With home use suddenly questionable, the lack of clarity could impact thousands of users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udce2 <strong>How Ohioans Are Fighting Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Advocacy organizations and everyday citizens are mobilizing to push back against HB 160 and protect the future of hemp access in Ohio. Here\u2019s how people are taking action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Join the Cannabis Civic Coalition (@civicscannabis)<\/strong> \u2013 Reach out on social media or through advocacy groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Email your legislators<\/strong> \u2013 Tell them how this bill affects you or your business.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Submit testimony<\/strong> \u2013 Share your voice directly with the House Judiciary Committee:<br>\ud83d\udce7 <a>ohrjudiciarycommittee@ohiohouse.gov<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Spread the word<\/strong> \u2013 Use social media, forums, and local events to raise awareness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udded <strong>What\u2019s Next for HB 160?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This bill is one of several currently being debated in Ohio. On June 10, <strong>Ohio State University\u2019s Drug Enforcement and Policy Center<\/strong> will host a webinar titled:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>&#8220;(Un)Checked Power of the Ohio General Assembly: Can Legislators Override Voters\u2019 Will on Marijuana Reform?&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>It will explore the legal and political implications of laws like HB 160. <a>You can register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcac <strong>Final Thoughts: A Defining Moment for Ohio\u2019s Cannabis Future<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re a patient, a small shop owner, or a casual consumer \u2014 HB 160 represents a potential rollback of voter-approved progress. The fight over how hemp and cannabis should be regulated in Ohio is heating up, and the decisions made in the coming weeks could <strong>permanently reshape access<\/strong> across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now\u2019s the time to get informed \u2014 and get involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On May 8, 2025, the Ohio House Judiciary Committee met to hear over three hours of testimony opposing House Bill 160 (HB 160) \u2014 a controversial piece of legislation that&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[77,82,78,83,76,75,79,80,81],"class_list":["post-58","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-thc-laws","tag-cannabis-advocacy","tag-cannabis-ban-ohio","tag-hb-160","tag-hemp-farming-ohio","tag-hemp-industry","tag-ohio-cannabis","tag-ohio-marijuana-law","tag-small-business-cannabis","tag-thca-legislation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thcatruth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ChatGPT-Image-May-12-2025-12_43_38-PM-min.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60,"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58\/revisions\/60"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcatruth.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}