CINCINNATI — Late Wednesday night, in the last session of the year, Ohio lawmakers banned the vast majority of "intoxicating" hemp. The vote, though, did blaze a new hope for THC drink distributors, who are allowed to continue to sell the drinks until the federal ban on hemp goes into effect next year.
Cincinnati craft breweries have been dealing with the back-and-forth for the last few months. We spoke to local distributors about what's been going on as the future of THC drinks remains uncertain.
Fifty West Brewery — one of the first to step into the THC drink game — says the possible ban has actually helped their sales.
WATCH LIVE: While Fifty West may be profiting, others aren't as lucky
Between people stocking up on THC drinks during the executive order given by Gov. Mike DeWine to stop selling “intoxicating hemp products” in October, and genuine curiosity, Slattery said THC seltzers are close to becoming their best seller.
“The conversation as a whole going on within the state level, it’s been a real positive for us from a sales standpoint,” said Bobby Slattery, founder of Fifty West.
But for other local brewers, like Urban Artifact, the looming ban has had the opposite effect.
“We saw about a 50% drop in our sales in the state of Ohio,” said Scotty Hunter, Urban Artifact's CFO and head of sales. “Those retailers were just not repurchasing product because they weren’t sure if they’d be able to sell it.”
While if and when a ban will happen is still up for a vote, there’s one thing all THC brewers can agree on: a total ban would be a massive hit to the economy.
“It would be hugely detrimental,” Hunter said. “To see them come in and potentially wipe out an entire industry.”
Slattery agreed, saying the THC market has created many jobs within the state.
“It would have a major impact on jobs inside the state and to our consumers that are drinking these,” said Slattery.
Slattery said he believes THC drinks are the future for the beverage industry, adding that this year has been their lowest for beer production but highest for overall production, thanks to their THC line.
“We just want to have a well-regulated industry that would eliminate the bad actors that were shown during the executive order,” said Hunter.
Hunter agrees, saying that he believes a total ban would be unconstitutional.
That’s not what this country is supposed to be; that’s not freedom to me. Put in regulations, put in safeguards, ensure that we’re protecting children, and we have food safety in place. That’s how it should be handled,” said Hunter.
The Ohio Senate is set to come back in early December and is likely to concur on the current deal banning most "intoxicating" hemp products.
