Ohio Judge Extends Hemp Sales Block; Sales Continue

Franklin County Judge Carl Aveni extended a temporary restraining order that blocks Gov. Mike DeWine’s Oct. 8 emergency order banning the sale of intoxicating hemp products and postponed the preliminary-injunction hearing to Dec. 2. The pause follows a lawsuit by three hemp businesses—Titan Logistics Group, Invicta Nutraceuticals and Fumee Smoke & Vape—arguing the governor overstepped his authority, and the judge said he had questions about new definitions DeWine sought to impose. DeWine has defended the emergency order as a short-term public‑health action to protect children from widely available hemp-derived THC products (including delta-8 and delta-10 in vapes, edibles, drinks and gummies) and to pressure lawmakers to act. The Ohio House passed legislation to regulate intoxicating hemp that would create licensed hemp dispensaries, set testing, packaging and advertising rules, cap dispensaries, impose a 10% tax and carve out certain THC beverages, and the bill was returned to the Senate for concurrence. The court ordered attorneys to submit responsive pleadings and propose an expedited discovery timetable, effectively allowing hemp-THC sales to continue through Thanksgiving while legal and legislative processes proceed.