Local shop owners and managers say they support regulating the hemp-derived THC marketplace for consumer safety and quality control, but they think the governor’s order was rash and out of line and will harm many small businesses and their customers who use the substances for pain relief, relaxation and as an alternative to higher potency and more expensive cannabis products and alcoholic beverages.
Store owners and managers said reputable businesses would never sell or market THC products to kids.
“This is going to hurt a lot of businesses,” said Ed Alkhateeb, the owner of Smoker’s Saver in southeast Dayton where delta-8 and similar products account for about 30% of the store’s sales.
A lawsuit filed Thursday by a trade group hoping to prevent the ban estimates that 20,000 Ohioans will be unemployed as a result of DeWine’s ban, if it goes into effect, resulting in billions of dollars in negative economic impact.
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
DeWine’s “consumer product safety emergency order” can remain in effect for up to 90 days, and the governor also ordered changes to the Ohio Administrative Code to remove intoxicating hemp from the state’s definition of legal hemp.
Ahead of Tuesday’s ban, some smoke and vape shops around the Dayton region this week posted signs advertising “half off” and “buy one, get one free” deals and other deep discounts for hemp-derived THC goods.
The Vapor Haus store at 617 Watervliet Ave. in Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood that has sold hemp THC products for years is selling gummies, vape cartridges, pre-rolled joints and concentrates for 50% off.
Store manager Troy Grant said the products are popular, accounting for around 30% of daily sales.
Consumers often like THC from hemp because the high is more mellow than traditional cannabis and has medicinal benefits, such as helping people relax and fall asleep, Grant said.
“For people who get anxiety attacks, where normal marijuana is way too powerful for them, it’s a nice alternative,” Grant said. “It’s very unfortunate to see this get treated the way it does.”
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
Local residents who smoke or consume hemp-derived THC told this news outlet that the high is less intense than regular marijuana and the goods sold at local businesses are much less expensive than pot sold at dispensaries.
Grant said of course hemp-derived THC products should not be sold to anyone under the age of 21, and Vapor Haus does not allow anyone under 21 inside of the store. Grant said he personally thinks it makes sense to prohibit these sales at certain establishments, like gas stations and corner stores.
Alkhateeb, the owner of Smoker’s Saver, a discount tobacco outlet at 2525 S. Smithville Road, said his delta-8 and THCa customers are mostly in their 50s and 60s and many use the products to reduce pain and anxiety.
“It has a benefit,” he said. “They aren’t using it to party.”
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
Alkhateeb said he does not believe the governor is banning hemp THC products because kids and young people are able to purchase the items. He said he thinks the move is meant to help state-licensed dispensaries, which are losing business from the sale of intoxicating hemp products.
Alkhateeb said he supports some regulations, like prohibiting THC from being sold in packaging that make the products look like candy or popular junk food brands. But he said customers at his store have to be 21 years old and his products are locked in a display case at the checkout counter.
Alkhateeb said the governor should have given stores more advance notice of the ban, so they don’t have to scramble to sell their inventories in a matter of days. Smoker’s Saver has a buy one, get one free sale going on, and Alkhateeb said he is going to have to throw away any products he does not sell in time.
Alkhateeb also said some people do not like marijuana dispensaries because they scan customers’ driver’s licenses and they don’t want that information to go into a database. A couple of people told this news outlet that they do not want their employers, the court system or other government agencies to find out that they use THC products.
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
Barrel House, a taproom and bottle shop on East Third Street in downtown Dayton, sells a variety of “THC bevvies” — beverages like infused sodas, seltzers and alcohol-free spirits.
Owner Gus Stathes said the state should have implemented regulations on hemp-derived THC products a couple of years ago, before they became an important part of businesses’ sales.
“We sell a lot of these — it’s become something we rely on to keep our doors open," he said. “As far as retail sales, this is probably a quarter to a third of what we sell, depending on the week.”
Credit: Staff
Credit: Staff
Stathes said many people who are trying to drink less alcohol or who don’t like alcohol enjoy sipping on THC-infused drinks. He said he hopes Ohio continues to allow people to buy these products.
“My opinion on the ban is that it’s silly — but there’s an important caveat, which is I do think regulation is important," he said. “But small businesses will suffer. ... I don’t put a lot of faith in the state of Ohio to listen to what people want.”
About the Author
