An Ohio judge has delayed Gov. Mike DeWine’s 90-day ban on intoxicating hemp products.
Judge Carl Aveni of Franklin County Common Pleas Court issued the temporary delay on Tuesday, just hours after the ban went into effect, according to Fox19 Now.
He ruled that the prohibition should be paused for 15 days while a lawsuit filed by several retailers and businesses is addressed.
A full hearing will be held on Oct. 28.
The governor’s order was based on concerns that hemp-derived THC products are unregulated at the state level and are being accessed by children and teenagers – a concern echoed by some medical professionals.
“One problem with the intoxicating hemp products, they weren’t regulated at all, so they looked like food or candy that doesn’t have child-resistant packaging,” Dr. Shan Yin, medical director for Drug and Poison Information at Cincinnati Children’s, told Fox19.
In a statement issued Tuesday, DeWine noted that while Ohio voters legalized recreational cannabis in licensed retail stores, they did not approve the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the unregulated market.
“Ohio voters approved a highly regulated market; they did not approve sales in these other venues,” DeWine’s statement reads.
“Ohio voters also mandated that products not target children and be tested for safety.”
The Ohio Healthy Alternatives Association said the ruling is an affirmation of its members’ “right to due process and fair consideration under the law.”
“The small, locally owned businesses we represent form a vital part of Ohio’s economy, and many would have faced severe financial hardship under the immediate enforcement of this order,” the association said in a statement.
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