DAYTON — People have less than 90 days before THC drinks will be banned across Ohio.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, businesses in the Oregon District say that they will start losing money because of the line-item veto Governor DeWine made on intoxicating hemp products.
He signed Senate Bill (SB) 56 into law on Dec. 19. It bans all weed products from being sold outside licensed dispensaries.
It starts in March 2026 and will last one year.
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Businesses told News Center 7’s Malik Patterson that they feel like their votes two years ago don’t matter.
They were happy with the drinks and the economic impact they had.
Bars were allowed to sell THC drinks that had a low dosage, but the new veto has stopped it.
Colin McHenry said that this is getting out of hand.
“This kind of crusade that’s going on about it just needs to stop,” said Colin McHenry. “It’s unnecessary, and it’s invalid. Let these companies continue to run and make a profit and benefit the community.”
Patterson said that DeWine’s signing comes a day after President Trump reclassified weed and THC from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule 3 drug.
Colin said that he was excited for the new federal rescheduling until this happened.
“It’s bringing people out who were once shamed for something they did in public. They’re going to want to interact more. They’re going to feel more comfortable doing this,” he said.
Patterson also spoke with Raychel Loney, the general manager of Troll Pub in the Oregon District.
She said this decision came as a shock.
“I’m not reordering, so like at this point, I would love for things to change and for us to be able to maintain the status quo,” she said.
Loney said these drinks were very successful from a business standpoint.
“Yeah, our guests love it. My employee loves or love it. They love selling it,” she added.
Loney added that they have had this rule in place for years.
“As an industry, we have been treating it like alcohol in terms of, you know, not allowing people under 21 to use it,” she said.
Loney told Patterson that she is worried about the long-term impact that this ban will have across the state.
“It’s a bad choice for Ohio’s economy. And the hemp industry has been booming lately, and all those people are going to be out of jobs,” she stated.
The ban goes into effect in March 2026.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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