Overview
- The order compels retailers to remove hemp-derived THC edibles and drinks from display and stop sales statewide beginning Oct. 14, with $500-per-day fines and potential product seizures for violations.
- The Ohio Department of Agriculture gains temporary power on Oct. 14 to exclude intoxicating hemp from the state’s legal hemp definition for the duration of the emergency.
- DeWine cites child safety concerns, pointing to candy-mimicking packaging and rising poison-control exposures tied to delta-8 and similar products.
- Industry groups and retailers have sued in Franklin County to block the ban, with plaintiffs including Fumee Smoke and Vape, Invicta Partners, and Titan Logistics Group.
- The prohibition runs 90 days unless extended by lawmakers, a representative is preparing a move to terminate it after 30 days, regulated marijuana dispensaries are unaffected, and consumer possession is not penalized.