On Wednesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order banning dangerous drugs made from industrial hemp. The order requires Ohio retailers to stop selling hemp products by Tuesday, October 14.
The order is similar to steps Arkansas and many other states have taken to protect people from these drugs.
In 2018, Congress passed the federal Farm Bill legalizing cannabis plants low in THC for use in textiles like hemp rope or cloth. THC is the main psychoactive substance in marijuana, and health experts warn the drug poses serious risks.
Instead of using hemp for textiles, manufacturers have found ways to extract and refine the small amount of THC in the plants. By doing this on a commercial scale, they can produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.
Public health reports across America have shown drugs like the ones made from hemp have sent kids to the emergency room and prompted parents to call poison control centers.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission recently tested 51 samples of industrial hemp flowers as part of the commission’s “Operation Clean Leaf” initiative. All 51 samples contained more THC than federal law allows, and authorities said the vast majority of hemp products were sold without proper age verification. Some were even tainted with dangerous pesticides.
Fortunately, state and federal policymakers have pushed back against these dangerous drugs.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that federal law prohibits hemp-derived THC in food products, and states like Massachusetts, South Dakota, and California have prohibited THC made from hemp.
In 2023, Arkansas passed Act 629 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) to prohibit THC made from industrial hemp. Family Council supported that good law, the legislature passed it, and the Eighth Circuit has upheld it as constitutional.
This year, lawmakers in Arkansas also rejected multiple bills that would have legalized drugs made from hemp.
It’s good to see policymakers around the country taking steps to protect people from hemp and other dangerous drugs. As we have said for years, these drugs may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
