Senate committee hears wide opposition to SB 86's proposed THC caps on hemp products; businesses, doctors and grocers urge regulatory alternatives

Summary

At a third hearing on Senate Bill 86, business owners, medical professionals and trade groups urged lawmakers to reject strict THC caps that they say would cripple small Ohio hemp businesses and push consumers to unregulated markets; witnesses called for targeted regulation, testing standards and enforcement against synthetic cannabinoids.

Opponents of Senate Bill 86 told the Senate General Government Committee that the bill's proposed THC caps and placement of many hemp products into the marijuana dispensary system would harm small businesses, reduce patient access to hemp-derived therapeutics and strengthen illicit markets. The committee held an extended third hearing with dozens of in-person witnesses representing retailers, manufacturers, medical practices and trade associations.

Robert McClure, owner of SunMed Your CBD Store in Centerville, said the bill’s proposed limits — 0.5 milligrams of delta‑9 THC per serving and 2 milligrams per package as presented in testimony — would place many full‑spectrum hemp products out of reach. "Senate Bill 86 ... would put myself and many others who are doing it right out of business," McClure said, describing his store's 3,000‑milligram full‑spectrum tincture (about 2.5 mg THC per serving and roughly 75 mg per bottle) and a 40:1 CBD to THC ratio that he…

Senate committee hears wide opposition to SB 86's proposed THC caps on hemp products; businesses, doctors and grocers urge regulatory alternatives

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading