Ohio Businesses File Emergency Lawsuit to Block Veto Banning Hemp THC Beverages

On March 6, 2026, four Ohio companies filed an emergency complaint challenging the state’s planned ban on hemp-derived THC beverages. The complaint specifically challenges Governor Mike DeWine’s use of a line-item veto in Ohio Senate Bill 56.

S.B. 56 was signed into law on December 19, 2025, and updates Ohio’s marijuana and intoxicating hemp regulations following the voter-approved legalization of recreational cannabis in Ohio. The law is scheduled to take effect on March 20, 2026.

Governor DeWine’s line-item veto removed a section of the bill that would have allowed businesses to continue selling hemp-derived beverages containing up to 5 milligrams of THC in Ohio and to manufacture stronger hemp beverages for sale outside the state through December 31, 2026. Without this provision, the ban on hemp-derived THC beverages is set to begin on March 20, 2026.

The companies bringing the lawsuit argue that enforcement of the ban could subject them to criminal liability for possessing existing inventory. They also claim the ban would result in layoffs affecting dozens of employees and cause millions of dollars in lost investments and sales.

The complaint asks the Supreme Court of Ohio to invalidate the governor’s veto before the ban takes effect and to compel state regulators to begin drafting the policies required under S.B. 56 by March 20, 2026, as originally mandated by the legislation.

For more information, the full complaint can be accessed through the public docket of the Supreme Court of Ohio, found here.