Ohio breweries resume THC drink sales after court injunction

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - THC-infused drinks are back on tap at Ohio breweries after a judge issued an injunction Monday allowing sales to resume.

Saucy Brew Works CEO Brent Zimmerman said his team had a truck ready to bring Saucy Seltzer products back from Indiana the minute they heard from attorneys.

The injunction is a win for Zimmerman and other breweries in the state after Gov. Mike DeWine in December vetoed part of a bill allowing breweries to sell THC-infused drinks.

The governor said the drinks are marketed as an alternative to beer, which he said the two drinks are not similar.

“People were upset, people lost jobs, tax revenue was lost by the state,” Zimmerman said.

Zimmerman said 92% of the House and Senate favored the measure and thousands of people wrote emails.

The brewery has ordered additional emulsion and supplies to make more product as they expect to sell out quickly

Zimmerman acknowledged the injunction only lasts two-weeks, so buying more product is a big risk. He is hopeful it will get extended and a new bill making it officially legal to sell will be in place soon.

“We’re working with our state representatives to hopefully get to a place where we have a bill we can all be proud of,” Zimmerman said.

Marijuana became recreationally legal in 2023, when voters approved it. Since then the Ohio legislature has passed restrictions on the product, including packaging rules and penalties for improperly transporting marijuana.