WAVERLY, Ohio – Several thousand marijuana enthusiasts will descend upon Waverly next month for the second annual Stargazer Cannabis Festival. It may also be the last.
“We’re very sad about that fact, and it would be very ironic that this festival was conceived out of a celebration for legalization, and then ironically, the law will make it illegal,” festival organizer Chad Thompson told NBC.
Thompson is concerned about changes to cannabis laws in consideration at the state and federal level that would minimize or eliminate the three-day cannabis festival. Ohio lawmakers have weighed multiple changes to Ohio’s recreational marijuana laws, which passed in 2023 with 57% of the vote. Federally, a provision currently included in the “Big Beautiful Bill” would prohibit most products that use hemp-derived THC.
Under the new federal proposal, the U.S. would redefine which hemp products are legal. Hemp was redefined in President Donald Trump’s first term to mean cannabis that has minimal THC levels, 0.3% or lower. People have used this definition to synthetically manufacture cannabis products that are both legal and intoxicating. The budget draft would ban those hemp products, making ingestible hemp federally illegal again.
“There is an effort to eliminate that segment of the hemp market, which would really give a big hit to hemp businesses and us, as a cannabis festival, also would be greatly impacted by that,” Thompson said. “It would take a big portion of our vendors and make them illegal.”
Thompson said changes to cannabis law would significantly harm Ohio’s emerging marijuana industry, which is on track to be a $2 billion market. Among higher taxes and a decreased legal maximum THC level, legislators have also considered a ban on ingesting cannabis in public spaces, which would largely prevent the festival from taking place.
Thompson said if the state changes cannabis laws, Stargazer Festival will have to consider relocating to a “friendlier state,” taking its business with it. The festival will nearly double the population of Waverly for the weekend, and Thompson said visitors are coming from 35 states.
“This festival this year will cost us close to $200,000 to organize and put on, and that’s all revenue that is being filtered in the state down through porta potties, tent rentals, local performers,” Thompson said.
Read the rest of the story at NBC
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