Latest news with #SenateBill86
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio legislature closing in on tweaks to voter-approved recreational marijuana laws
Jun. 5—A Frankenstein's monster of sorts is coming alive in Columbus as members of the Ohio House and Senate work to close the gap in their chamber's different approaches to recreational marijuana reform. That gap has existed since Ohio voters approved recreational marijuana at the ballot box in 2023, with the Ohio Senate broadly pushing for more restrictions than the House was willing to tolerate. The House adopted a plan to try to find the middle: Amend Senate Bill 56 to include large portions of House Bill 160 and Senate Bill 86. Here's the broad overview of the hodgepodge piece of legislation, as things stand: — There would be no ban on the sharing of recreational marijuana between of-age adults. — The state's current flat 10% tax would be maintained on recreational sales and expanded onto intoxicating hemp products. Previous plans have sought to raise the tax to 15% or 20%. — Intoxicating hemp products would be banned from retail sales and only be purchasable at dispensaries. That's except for low-dose THC-infused beverages, which could still be sold retail. — The state's current host community financial kickback would be phased out seven years after the bill's effective date. Previous plans have considered cutting out that funding immediately. — The limit of Ohio dispensaries would rise from 350 to 400. — The minimum distance between dispensaries would be one mile. Previous plans have looked at a half-mile limit. — Public use would be allowed in permitting concert venues. Bars and restaurants still would not have the authority to permit marijuana consumption on their patios or outdoor areas. — THC concentration in certain products would be capped at 70%, with Ohio's Division of Cannabis Control having the regulatory power to bump it higher. The bill is likely to see further amendments in the House Judiciary Committee over the coming weeks. Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, who has headed the House's legislative efforts on intoxicating hemp and recreational marijuana, said that he hopes the compromise will be enough to get the Senate on board. The Senate's go-to expert on the subject, Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, did not respond before publication when this news outlet asked if he approved of the House's changes. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Axios
09-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Colorado governor aligns with Big Tech
Gov. Jared Polis rose to prominence and made his millions as a tech entrepreneur, so it's no surprise to lawmakers that he repeatedly sided with the industry this legislative session. Why it matters: The governor used his veto pen and political influence to kill a series of bills that received wide support in the Legislature this year. The common denominator: They would have imposed new restrictions on tech companies, as the Chamber of Commerce noted. Catch up quick: His veto pen struck Senate Bill 86 despite winning approval in the House and Senate by more than 2-to-1 margins. The legislation called for tougher regulations on social media companies to protect children. A veto warning led to the demise of a bipartisan Senate Bill 201 that would have required online platforms to verify ages before showing sexually explicit material. House Bill 1287 targeted social media platforms and prohibited algorithms designed to extend minor users' engagement. Polis expressed concern about Senate Bill 318, which would have imposed new guardrails on artificial intelligence, and it died just days after its introduction. His influence also led lawmakers to neuter a bill putting tighter regulations on ride-hailing services, like Uber and Lyft. What he's saying: In conversations with lawmakers and his veto letter, Polis made clear he believed additional regulations would stifle innovation and "unduly [infringe] on the speech, privacy and liberty rights of all users." Between the lines: Polis is a Democrat, but often takes a libertarian point of view in supporting market-based outcomes. This ideology helped drive his decisions on the tech bills, lawmakers say. "I think he wants Colorado to be a place where tech companies can thrive," said Kouri Marshall at Chamber for Progress, a technology interest group opposed to the new regulations. "We are looking for the executive of the state to stop these bills and allow us to go forward." The other side: State Sen. Lindsey Daugherty (D-Arvada) sponsored two of the bills the governor opposed. She said lobbying efforts against the measure were overwhelming from the tech industry and Polis. "We fought as hard as we could," she lamented. What we're watching: Technology advocates want Polis to use his veto powers again to reject House Bill 1122, which effectively bans autonomous trucks by requiring an operator to ride along. Polis' administration testified against the bill.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate votes to confine intoxicating hemp to dispensaries, make sales 21+
May 3—A bill banning intoxicating hemp products from being sold in gas stations, convenience stores or anywhere else outside of a licensed dispensary passed the Ohio Senate 33-0 this week. The bill, Senate Bill 86, now heads to the Ohio House for further consideration. It's the latest in a growing line of otherwise stalled attempts to regulate intoxicating hemp in Ohio. The bill targets "intoxicating hemp products," defined as any product with more than two milligrams of delta-9 THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana) or more than 0.5 milligrams of any other "non-delta-9 THC" (like delta-8 or THCA, which can also make users feel high) per package. Under current law, those products — derived from hemp and protected under the federal Farm Bill — can be sold just about anywhere in the state and to anyone at the seller's discretion. Such products are often sold in gas stations, convenience stores or CBD stores, and have frequently been targeted by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and other opponents for their potential appeal to children through colorful packaging and subliminal branding. Under S.B. 86, those products could only be sold by licensed cannabis dispensaries, with a 10% tax that matches the tax Ohio currently has on recreational marijuana. "This bill simply closes loopholes that allows these dangerous products to be sold to our children," said state Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, who jointly sponsors the bill. Robert McClure, a veteran and owner of a boutique "SunMed — Your CBD Store" in Centerville, told this news outlet that it's frustrating for his business — which doesn't sell to customers under 21 and focuses on wellness — to be lumped in with more problematic retailers. McClure told the Senate General Government Committee last month that S.B. 86 would make it illegal for him to carry most of his best-selling products and would put him "and many others who are doing it right out of business." In an interview with this outlet, McClure specifically noted that he would no longer be able to sell his "bread and butter:" tinctures of full spectrum CBD oil sold in monthslong supply. His two-month, 3,000 milligram oil tinctures, for example, contain 75 milligrams of THC — far above the bounds of what S.B. 86 allows to be sold outside dispensaries. McClure said CBD, which is non-intoxicating, trumps the THC contents in those tinctures by as much as 50-to-1. When this outlet talked with Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle, they downplayed McClure's concern about S.B. 86 putting him out of business. "I still think if they were operating before they'll be able to operate after," said Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. "What I will say is that there are legitimate products that they can be selling to make money that will not put our children in jeopardy, and that's where I'll leave that," said Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood. McClure doubled down on the threat S.B. 86 poses to his business and maintained that shops like his, offering products like his, are an essential part of Ohio's wellness ecosystem and offer a space to educate people on CBD products. "(If) you put these in the hands of the dispensaries, they're not selling this stuff. There's no way they're going to sell this stuff," McClure told this outlet. "That's not their bread and butter. Their bread and butter is selling marijuana, that's what they do." ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio bill to regulate Delta-8 products moves forward
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Lawmakers have been working to regulate Delta-8 products since late 2023, largely at the request of Gov. Mike DeWine. 'At the end of the day, it's about the safety of kids,' Ohio Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) said. Delta-8 is a low-level THC product that can give a high similar to marijuana but is sold in convenient stores with no age restriction or regulations. 'Anything that we can do to make sure that these things are safe for consumers is a step in the right direction,' Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) said. Ohio State University fraternity suspended for hazing Senate Bill 86 passed the Senate on Wednesday with no votes against it. The Sente did pass a bill last general assembly too, but that died in the House at the end of 2023. At the end of 2024, lawmakers tried again, but the bill died in committee after disagreement about whether a total ban was necessary. 'I think there's some genuine disagreements, but I don't think anything of the problems are unsolvable,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. This new bill, though, requires that any 'intoxicating hemp' product is sold in a licensed marijuana dispensary and only accessible to Ohioans 21 and over. Some leaders said it is a good start but say the state could go further. 'Frankly, if it were up to me individually, but it's not, I would probably ban the product,' Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. But some in the hemp industry said banning, or even simply putting the product in dispensaries, will both strengthen the illicit market and negatively impact small businesses in Ohio. 'Many of these stores that are offering this were already in business before this product was offered,' McColley said. 'I don't have a lot of sympathy for some of those businesses.' House Bill 160 both changes the state's recreational marijuana laws and requires that Delta-8 products be put behind bars. Huffman said he thinks the two issues should be addressed the same way. 'We say the word hemp, but what I've tried to do is constrict the conversation or the terminology to THC, whether it's coming from marijuana, coming from hemp or coming from some chemical alteration of some subject,' he said. Though details like that have held up progress in the past, Huffman said he is confident something can get done by June 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate votes to confine intoxicating hemp to dispensaries, make sales 21+
Apr. 30—A bill banning intoxicating hemp products from being sold in gas stations, convenience stores or anywhere else outside of a licensed dispensary passed the Ohio Senate 33-0 this week. The bill, Senate Bill 86, now heads to the Ohio House for further consideration. It's the latest in a growing line of otherwise stalled attempts to regulate intoxicating hemp in Ohio. The bill targets "intoxicating hemp products," defined as any product with more than two milligrams of delta-9 THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana) or more than 0.5 milligrams of any other "non-delta-9 THC" (like delta-8 or THCA, which can also make users feel high) per package. Under current law, those products — derived from hemp and protected under the federal Farm Bill — can be sold just about anywhere in the state and to anyone at the seller's discretion. Such products are often sold in gas stations, convenience stores or CBD stores, and have frequently been targeted by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and other opponents for their potential appeal to children through colorful packaging and subliminal branding. Under S.B. 86, those products could only be sold by licensed cannabis dispensaries, with a 10% tax that matches the tax Ohio currently has on recreational marijuana. "This bill simply closes loopholes that allows these dangerous products to be sold to our children," said state Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, who jointly sponsors the bill. Robert McClure, a veteran and owner of a boutique "SunMed — Your CBD Store" in Centerville, told this news outlet that it's frustrating for his business — which doesn't sell to customers under 21 and focuses on wellness — to be lumped in with more problematic retailers. McClure told the Senate General Government Committee last month that S.B. 86 would make it illegal for him to carry most of his best-selling products and would put him "and many others who are doing it right out of business." In an interview with this outlet, McClure specifically noted that he would no longer be able to sell his "bread and butter:" tinctures of full spectrum CBD oil sold in monthslong supply. His two-month, 3,000 milligram oil tinctures, for example, contain 75 milligrams of THC — far above the bounds of what S.B. 86 allows to be sold outside dispensaries. McClure said CBD, which is non-intoxicating, trumps the THC contents in those tinctures by as much as 50-to-1. When this outlet talked with Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle, they downplayed McClure's concern about S.B. 86 putting him out of business. "I still think if they were operating before they'll be able to operate after," said Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. "What I will say is that there are legitimate products that they can be selling to make money that will not put our children in jeopardy, and that's where I'll leave that," said Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood. McClure doubled down on the threat S.B. 86 poses to his business and maintained that shops like his, offering products like his, are an essential part of Ohio's wellness ecosystem and offer a space to educate people on CBD products. "(If) you put these in the hands of the dispensaries, they're not selling this stuff. There's no way they're going to sell this stuff," McClure told this outlet. "That's not their bread and butter. Their bread and butter is selling marijuana, that's what they do." Note: This is a developing story and may be updated as more information becomes available. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
