Ohio Lawmakers Weigh Hemp Clampdown as SB 266 Advances and Related Bills Loom

30 September 2025

Ohio lawmakers are moving to tighten oversight of intoxicating hemp products while debating wider changes to the adult-use cannabis framework approved by voters in 2023. Senate Bill 266, introduced September 16, 2025, would require intoxicating hemp products to undergo licensed testing, adopt clear labeling and child-resistant packaging, and be sold only to adults 21 and older with ID verification. The bill prohibits products that resemble humans, animals, or fruits and bans imagery considered attractive to children, such as cartoons or brand mimicry. It establishes penalties, including a fifth-degree felony for sales to minors and a first-degree misdemeanor for selling child-attractive forms. SB 266 has bipartisan sponsorship and was referred on October 1 to the Senate General Government Committee.

SB 266’s sponsor emphasized the bill’s hemp-only focus and the aim to remove unregulated, youth-appealing products from the market. Gov. Mike DeWine has urged action on delta-8 THC, citing a lack of oversight. The Department of Commerce would administer SB 266’s rules, including testing and packaging standards and enforcement.

In parallel, Senate Bill 86 would:

• prohibit intoxicating hemp sales to anyone under 21,
• impose a 10 percent tax on intoxicating hemp,
• regulate drinkable cannabinoids, and
• require sales through licensed marijuana dispensaries.

The Senate approved SB 86 unanimously in April. Senate Bill 56, also Senate-passed and pending in the House Judiciary Committee, would further align hemp intoxicants with the marijuana system by:

• limiting high-THC extracts to 70 percent THC,
• capping active dispensaries,
• prohibiting most public smoking, and
• placing intoxicating hemp and drinkable cannabinoids under Commerce.

House Bill 160 proposes related adjustments, including:

• requiring all THC products to be sold in licensed dispensaries,
• capping dispensaries,
• adjusting THC extract limits,
• reallocating marijuana tax revenue,
• adding expungement provisions, and
• banning importation of out-of-state marijuana.

If SB 266 advances on its own, retailers would need to implement age verification, packaging updates, and testing compliance. If SB 86, SB 56, or HB 160 are enacted as written, intoxicating hemp would shift into the marijuana dispensary channel, consolidating sales and likely increasing compliance costs while standardizing safety.

As the bills move through committee, the core policy trade-offs are clear: child protection and consumer safety through licensed testing and adult-only access, balanced against preserving product choice and retail diversity for the state’s hemp sector.