COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio growers could soon find it easier and cheaper to plant industrial hemp after state lawmakers this week moved a bipartisan bill designed to overhaul the three-year-old licensing program.
The proposal, House Bill 506, cleared the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday in a 12-1 vote and now heads to the full chamber. The measure would slash annual license fees from $500 to $100, raise the acreage limit from 100 to 1,000 acres per permit and direct the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) to accept online applications year-round instead of during a 30-day spring window.
“Producers tell us the current program is workable but too expensive and too rigid,” Rep. Roy Klopfenstein, R-Paulding, the bill’s sponsor, said during testimony. “If we want to compete with neighboring states, we have to modernize.” Ohio legalized hemp in 2019 after the federal Farm Bill removed the crop from the controlled-substances list, but participation has lagged: only 347 growers applied last season, down 18 percent from 2022, according to ODA figures.
ODA Deputy Director Sarah Wickline told lawmakers the agency “supports efforts that keep Ohio compliant with federal standards while reducing red tape for farmers.” The draft bill would automatically adopt any tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) testing thresholds set in the next federal Farm Bill, expected later this year, eliminating the need for another round of state rulemaking.
The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest agricultural lobby, said the higher acreage ceiling could attract out-of-state processors looking for reliable feedstock. “Investors want scale,” said Brandon Kern, the group’s director of state policy. “Without more acres in production, they will continue to look to Kentucky and Indiana.”
Not everyone backs the plan. The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association warned that expanding hemp acreage without stronger inspection funding could complicate enforcement against illicit marijuana grows, which look nearly identical in the field.
The bill could reach the House floor as early as mid-April. If it passes both chambers and is signed by Gov. Mike DeWine, revised rules would take effect in time for the 2025 planting season. Analysts say Ohio’s share of the $1.7 billion U.S. hemp market could double within five years if the state succeeds in trimming compliance costs while maintaining federal approval.