Fox 8 reports Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill that allows for the cultivation of industrial hemp and legalizes the manufacture and sale of CBD products derived from the plant.
Ohio’s leading farm group applauded the signing of the bill Tuesday ( July 30 2019) by the Republican governor.
The Ohio Farm Bureau says industrial hemp will give farmers another crop option and potential revenue stream that could offset “years of declining commodity prices.”
Hemp contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol found in marijuana, another plant in the cannabis family. CBD products, which are touted for their therapeutic effects, can contain just .3% THC under the new law.
Ohio’s Department of Agriculture must create rules for a hemp program before farmers can begin planting.
More at https://fox8.com/2019/07/30/dewine-signs-measure-legalizing-hemp-cultivation-in-ohio/
US Hemp Rountable writes….
Ohio: Today, Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio signed Senate Bill 57 into law, surrounded by supporters, including the U.S. Hemp Roundtable’s lobbying team. The passing of this bill means that retail sale of hemp-derived CBD is now legal, ending months of product seizures and embargoes. In addition, it alleviates confusion and hopes to eliminate enforcement actions against retailers, while also clarifying that hemp is separate and distinct from marijuana in Ohio by adding new definitions of hemp and hemp products to the law.
The rule-making process for growers and processors is still in the works and will continue to be built out over the next several months to determine best practices in light of the bill passing. However, in the meantime, an emergency clause contained in the bill means the retail sale of hemp products can occur immediately.
For further information and instruction on the state of hemp in Ohio, the Department of Agriculture has posted new guidance on hemp and CBD in Ohio. Additionally, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy also released a statement on the new guidance.
