Two Southern Ohio hemp retailers were raided Tuesday morning as federal, county, and state agencies continue to crack down on intoxicating hemp products caught in the middle of a rapidly shifting legal landscape.
Officers with the DEA, county law enforcement, and additional unmarked units executed search operations at Western Avenue Exotics — a business previously raided — and Bud City Dispo in Waverly. At least one of the locations sells products containing Delta-8 THC and other intoxicating hemp derivatives. Authorities were seen seizing products and materials from each store.
The raids come as Ohio’s hemp industry remains in legal limbo. While state law still classifies hemp products containing no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC as legal, that definition has allowed retailers to sell alternative cannabinoids such as Delta-8 THC outside the regulated medical cannabis system.
Tension Over Intoxicating Hemp Products Intensifies
• Governor’s Emergency Order: In October 2025, Gov. Mike DeWine issued an executive order declaring an “adulterated consumer product emergency,” aiming to restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp products — defined as those containing more than 0.5 mg per serving or 2 mg per package of any form of THC — to licensed dispensaries only.
• Court Intervention: A Franklin County judge temporarily blocked the enforcement of the order after hemp businesses filed suit, delaying the crackdown until at least early December.
• New Regulations Pending: The Ohio legislature is considering Senate Bill 56 and Senate Bill 86, which would require intoxicating hemp products to be sold only in licensed dispensaries, impose 21+ age limits, and enforce stricter testing and packaging rules.
• Federal Action Looming: A federal spending bill passed this fall includes language that will ban most intoxicating hemp products nationally starting in November 2026, potentially overriding Ohio’s efforts to craft its own regulatory framework.
Tuesday’s raids signal that despite the temporary pause on enforcement, some agencies are moving aggressively against businesses selling intoxicating hemp items. No arrests have been reported so far, and officials have not yet commented on the nature or scope of the investigation.
More details will be released as information becomes available.
