The OHRA Org
When people talk about legal hemp, they rarely talk about the money. But they should.
Because this industry isn’t just helping people — it’s helping Ohio’s economy every single day.
Small hemp retailers in Ohio are paying rent on Main Street. They’re hiring staff. They’re shipping orders. And yes — they’re paying taxes. Local taxes. State taxes. Sales tax on every transaction.
Hemp stores don’t get handouts. They don’t get subsidies. But they do contribute. Quietly. Consistently. Month after month.
And when lawmakers talk about shutting them down, what they’re also doing is cutting off a growing stream of revenue for cities and counties that need it.
No one seems to mention that the hemp industry is expected to increase threefold in the next five years, from $1.9 billion in 2020 to $6.9 billion in 2025, according to Nielsen Global Direct data featured in the new 2021 Hemp and CBD Industry Factbook. Or that the industry supports over 150,000 jobs. Or that Ohio has hundreds of licensed businesses that depend on this revenue to stay afloat.
Most hemp stores are small — run by families, friends, local folks who live in the same neighborhoods they serve. They’re not out-of-state chains. They don’t have lobbyists. But they do keep money moving. And that matters.
If SB86 or HB198 pass, it’s not just shelves that get cleared. It’s bank accounts. It’s payroll. It’s tax receipts.
This isn’t theory. It’s math. And lawmakers need to do it.
Because when you force legal businesses to shut down and hand their market to a few corporate dispensaries, the state loses more than it gains.
Every closed hemp shop is lost revenue. Lost jobs. Lost opportunity.
This industry isn’t asking for favors. Just fairness.
