A federal judge ruled that nearly a dozen producers of hemp-derived THC beverages in Ohio, including one Cincinnati business, will be allowed to resume operations.
On June 15, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Helmick granted 10 Ohio-based companies a temporary restraining order, allowing them to conduct operations for the manufacturing and sale of THC-infused beverages for 14 days unless it’s extended.
Only one Cincinnati-based brewery is affected by the ruling: Urban Artifact, which brews Coastalo.
Ohio’s Senate Bill 56, which updated the regulatory framework for legal cannabis and intoxicating hemp, was signed into law in December 2025. The legislation was intended to address concerns about unregulated hemp-derived THC, including THC beverages.
During the legislative process, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued a line-item veto to eliminate important provisions that would have allowed the beverages to remain available in standard retail stores. Under the new law, THC-infused beverages are required to only be sold through state-licensed cannabis dispensaries. Ohio began enforcing the new law on March 20.
According to the ruling, Helmick granted the temporary restraining order after Cleveland-based Titan Logistics Group and several other plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit against the state, alleging that Senate Bill 56 violated the U.S. Constitution because of its discriminatory effect on interstate commerce. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Northern District of Ohio.
The temporary restraining order prohibits Ohio prosecutors and others acting in concert with them from taking criminal, civil, administrative or regulatory enforcement actions against the named plaintiffs.
The ban on the product has been detrimental to some of the state’s businesses. Ohio retailers and producers say it has led to layoffs, lost revenue and stalled expansion plans, with some businesses reporting losses in the millions.
