Bipartisan Group Of 21 Attorneys General Urges Congress To Regulate Intoxicating Hemp Products

A group of 21 state attorneys general is urging Congress to do something about the lack of regulations on intoxicating hemp products. 

It's been more than five years since former President Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Act 2018), which effectively legalized hemp and hemp-derived products on the federal level. Under the bill, hemp is considered to have only 0.3% delta 9 THC. What about products derived from hemp, are they regulated as food? Are they considered supplements? Another problem is that scientists have found a way to use naturally occurring compounds in hemp and convert them into intoxicating products that are usually sold at simple convenience stores. These products can be unsafe, even dangerous due to the lack of regulations.

Over time the market for these unregulated intoxicating hemp products has grown big. Now, a bipartisan group of state attorneys general is trying to push for a resolution on this "health and safety crisis," first reported Politico. 

"The reality is that this law [Farm Bill 2018] has unleashed on our states a flood of products that are nothing less than a more potent form of cannabis, often in candy form that is made attractive to youth and children — with staggering levels of potency, no regulation, no oversight, and a limited capability for our offices to rein them in," reads the letter sent to the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate agriculture committees.

The letter was led by Indiana AG Todd Rokita (R) and Arkansas AGl Tim Griffin (R) but several Democrats signed as well. 

"These inconsistent court rulings are part of the reason I have urged Congress to step in and create consistency across the nation to protect our children from these dangerous drugs," Griffin told the outlet. 

See Also: GOP-Led Bill Banning Sale Of Delta-8 And Other Unregulated Hemp Products Reaches Gov. Kristi Noem’s Desk

The chief law officers further wrote that "The definition of hemp should be amended to clarify that there is no federal hemp intoxicants loophole, and the 2023 reauthorization should reaffirm that members of Congress do not intend to limit states in restrictions or regulations related to cannabinoids or any other derivatives of hemp which are deemed intoxicating." 

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Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Wikimedia Commons and Katamaheen via Pixabay