California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday proposed emergency regulations seeking to shut down hemp-derived THC product sales in the Golden State.
The new regulations, proposed by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), would require all hemp-derived products sold in the state to have “no detectable amount of total THC” — including delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, and over two dozen other analogs — and would create a five-serving limit per package of hemp products. Additionally, consumable hemp product sales would be limited to adults aged 21 or older.
State officials say the regulations will prevent children in the state from being exposed to unregulated and potentially dangerous intoxicating hemp products.
“We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores. We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products.” — Statement by Gov. Newsom, in a press release
The rules must be approved by the Office of Administrative Law, then would take effect immediately, The Hill reports. If enacted, the rules would essentially wipe out the California hemp product industry with nearly every industry offering affected by the ban, whether for THC content or serving proportions.
The Hemp Roundtable told Benzinga: “Today’s ’emergency action’ by Governor Newsom is a betrayal of California hemp farmers, small businesses, and adult consumers. After having supported AB 45, which created a sound regulatory framework for the manufacture and sale of hemp products, Newsom’s Administration fell on the job and failed to take any steps to enforce it.”
Meanwhile, SF Gate reports that the California Cannabis Industry trade group commended the proposed regulations, saying the action would “create a safer, more transparent marketplace” and ensure that “harmful, unregulated products no longer undermine our state’s rigorous cannabis laws.”
The governor in May ordered state officials to warn industrial hemp product retailers that selling improperly labeled products is a crime that could lead to a revoked license.
Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe
Ganjapreneur is made possible by our partners:
