Ohio AG joins bipartisan push to close federal synthetic hemp loophole

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has joined a bipartisan coalition of 39 state and territory attorneys general in a letter calling on Congress to close a loophole in federal law that has allowed synthetic THC products to flood gas stations, convenience stores and online retailers across Ohio and nationwide (Source: “Ohio joins 38 states demanding Congress to clarify federal hemp definition,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Oct. 28).
 
The letter, co-sponsored by attorneys general from Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana and Minnesota, urges lawmakers to clarify the federal definition of hemp during the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process or through Farm Bill reauthorization. The coalition argues that manufacturers have exploited ambiguity in the 2018 Farm Bill to produce and sell intoxicating hemp products.
 
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp for commercial use, defining it as cannabis containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis. The goal was to promote industrial hemp for products like textiles and rope, but producers quickly exploited the definition.