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Retailers, Restaurants and Producers Back House Bill 198 to License, Test and Label Hemp‑Derived Products
Summary
Retailers, hospitality groups and hemp producers urged the House Judiciary Committee to approve House Bill 198, which would create licensing, testing, labeling and age‑restriction rules for hemp‑derived consumable products.
A coalition of retail, hospitality, producer and advocacy witnesses told the House Judiciary Committee they back House Bill 198 as a framework to regulate hemp‑derived products, including age limits, testing, labeling, and a licensing system for manufacturers, distributors and retailers.
Laura Miller of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants said members want a regulatory pathway to sell adult consumable hemp products safely outside dispensaries. "Our members are very hesitant to enter the consumables market without a specific regulatory framework in place," she said, adding retailers currently lose online sales because state rules are unclear. Todd Bowen of the Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance described a hemp‑infused beverage he and his wife purchased in Cincinnati and said bars and brewers can responsibly sell age‑restricted hemp beverages if a regulatory structure is created.
Producers and industry witnesses supported HB 198 while urging a regulatory approach that preserves direct‑to‑consumer sales for some products. Hannah Cubbins of Americans for Prosperity said the bill strikes a narrow balance by requiring licensing, independent testing, accurate labeling and prohibiting vertical integration while avoiding heavy‑handed bans. Moe Deim, a retailer, and Jim Higdon of Cornbread Hemp urged the committee to adopt the bill's testing and labeling rules and to permit regulated beverage sales and direct‑to‑consumer options for manufacturers.
Witnesses emphasized several common points: limit sales to adults 21 and over, require independent laboratory testing for contaminants and potency, prohibit child‑oriented packaging, and create licensing and compliance rules so legitimate businesses can compete and bad actors are removed from the market. The committee concluded a second hearing on HB 198 with multiple proponent testimonies; the transcript records no committee vote.
