COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio lawmakers on Tuesday sent sweeping legislation to change the state’s recreational marijuana and intoxicating hemp regulations to Gov. Mike DeWine.

Senate Bill 56, which passed the Ohio Senate by a party-line, 22-7 vote, would prohibit sales of all hemp-based items with more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC -- short for tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive drug in cannabis – per container, as well as those containing synthetic cannabinoids, outside of a licensed marijuana dispensary.

The legislation would allow for five-milligram hemp-derived THC drinks – a common concentration amount – to temporarily remain legal in Ohio through the end of next year. Those beverages would be permitted to be manufactured, distributed, and sold until Dec. 31, 2026.

The bill la

See Full Page