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It may be most of yr still before new fed law pulls the plug on the intoxicating hemp mkt, but more immediate impacts set to show up in the states. Take Ohio, one of most recent battlegrounds where the gov stepped in after legislators failed to find agreement. Gov Mike DeWine's proposed total ban on hemp THC was held off by courts and in meantime, legislators sought a different solution. This wk, after fed lawmakers pointed toward heavier restrictions, Ohio House passed a bill that would push intoxicating hemp into the state's dispensary system with its THC-containing sibling products. It echoes the way chair of the Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives (CABA), Diana Eberlein, discussed during call yesterday, commenting that some states are preparing to push back against the fed action while others will likely "pump the brakes." Ohio Lawmakers 'Certainly Influenced' by Feds; 90-Day 'Runway'; 5 Mg Bevs Thru Dec 2026 The back & forth in Ohio went on for mos but state appears to be nearing finish line on regulating intoxicating hemp. A conference committee met late Weds night and into Thurs morning, putting "compromise" language into a bill that the Republican super-majority in the House passed around 1am Thurs, the Ohio Capital Journal reported. The 228-pg bill covers changes to both hemp and cannabis regulation. "On the hemp side, what the federal government did certainly influenced what we needed to do," said state Sen Steve Huffman, who sponsored original version of the bill. Tho rather than a yr, the bill sets a 90-day implementation timeline. The Senate still has to pass it, tho it's expected to come back into session to do that next mo, OCJ wrote.Notably, however, effort to treat hemp beverages differently remains in the bill. In fact, neither "low-level" or "high-level" hemp bevs, with a 5 mg marker between 'em, are considered "intoxicating hemp products" by the bill. And much like version of the bill passed by the House last mo, current version treats those bevs a bit differently. Low-dose bevs up to 5 mg total THC will still be able to be manufactured, distributed and sold in the state, at least thru the end of 2026.And state lawmakers opened the door to more change. GOP Rep Brian Stewart described it as "aspirational language" that clarifies "if the federal government takes action and makes (THC beverages) legal again, that it's our intent that we would come back and have legislation to create a structure to have legal THC beverages again," he told the Capital Journal.'Compromise' Possible, Necessary for Unity at Fed Level, So 'No Carveouts' Next Time While bevs may work under a different system from other hemp-derived D9 products in Ohio, that's not the way forward federally, Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives chair Diana Eberlein explained during yesterday's regular monthly call. "We need to be united," she said, repeatedly telling members, allies and other stakeholders that a lack of alignment around parameters and regulations was a major issue for the industry in DC. She heard "a lot of concerns about us not having a united ask." So as advocates work to get on the same page, "we are looking for a solution that works for multiple form factors," or methods of intake, whether bevs, food or otherwise. "This time, there are no carveouts whatsoever," she said. That echoed observations of other THC players in wake of fed move (BBI, Nov 13).In addition to identifying allowable "form factors," hemp advocates are looking at "dosage caps" and "permitted cannabinoids," seeking ways to address those issues in future legislation. Recall, law passed last week limits dosage to prohibitively low 0.4 mg per container and bans any cannabinoid that isn't naturally derived. Diana pointed to robust language floated separately by Sen Wyden, a Democrat from Ore,, and Rep Griffith, a Republican from Va, seeing possibility for "compromise" in the pair of bills. Standalone legislation will be challenging to get across the finish line in the 1-yr time limit, however, she cautioned."There will need to be compromises made" in order to arrive at something "we believe is palatable and winnable," Diana urged. By same token, many questioners asked about the descheduling, showing interest among hemp industry members for a "one plant solution" or even a "one molecule solution," as Diana called it, referring to a regulatory structure for hemp, marijuana and THC. But that's not realistic within the next year. Rescheduling has a little more momentum, but wouldn't help hemp. So the focus will be on setting parameters the whole hemp biz can get behind and that will help it win over more allies, including among those who opposed efforts this yr.THC's Alcohol Problem While Eberlein and rest of bev side of hemp biz "work very closely" with alcohol and Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Assn has been "one of our loudest advocates federally" for 2 yrs now, other distrib orgs aren't fully on board and major suppliers lobbied to prohibit products until robust regulation is in place. Listening to feedback about what went wrong federally for hemp this yr, Diana shared top concerns, many of which echo issues voiced by members of alc bev biz. First, suing states over hemp regs cuts against the claim that the industry wants to be regulated. Second, many hemp industry members play too fast and loose with "health and wellness" talk.And finally, there's matter of "alcohol bashing," which doesn't help build either lobbying coalitions or biz partners, she explained. Eberlein made it clear that something she "hear[s] about a lot." But "alcohol is not going away," she reminded. And "our strategic partners are selling alcohol and alcohol is still a majority of their sales." Plus, whether current partners or potential future ones, "they see a lot. They hear a lot." And "they will make strategic decisions based on what they see and hear," Diana cautioned. "We don't need to put down alcohol in any capacity," she urged. And while "that does not mean we're saying we're going to get steamrolled by alcohol and tobacco," she again reminded industry members that they are "working with them."

CANNABIZ: Fed Action Spurs Ohio to Restrict Hemp, tho Bev Exceptions Stay; No Bev Carveout Next Time, CABA Advises in Plotting Strategy

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