Kentucky House Approves Delta-8 THC Regulation Bill
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Kentucky House Approves Delta-8 THC Regulation Bill

On Thursday, the Kentucky House of Representatives approved a bill to regulate the sale and production of delta-8 THC from hemp. House Bill 544 was approved unanimously by a vote 97-0. It now heads to the state Senate to be considered. During Thursday’s discussion on the legislation, Republican House Speaker Pro Tempore David Mead stated to his colleagues that delta-8 THC products pose a danger to young people. “We have some who have overdosed on the product.” House Bill 544, if passed by the Kentucky Senate and signed into law would give the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services the task of drafting administrative regulations for state production and sale. The legislation includes regulatory guidelines that prohibit the sale of delta-8 products to anyone under 21 years of age. The legislation also stipulated that delta-8 products must be kept behind retail sales counters, and that packaging must clearly state the ingredients. Raymer stated in a statement that while the Kentucky hemp program is an important part of our agricultural community, the sale and usage of unregulated THC poses a threat to all Kentuckians who might use it. These products are not subject to any standards of production. If someone buys Delta-8, they don’t have any way to determine if it is safe. This bill will protect our consumers and improve the industry. House Bill 544 has the support and backing of many business owners and representatives from the hemp industry, both in Kentucky as well as nationwide. Jonathan Miller, general counsel to U.S. Hemp Roundtable called the bill “strong legislation” that regulates delta-8 THC and keeps the cannabinoid out of the hands of young people. Miller made this statement in a statement by the trade group for the hemp industry. “HB 544 strikes the perfect balance by ensuring strict regulations to prevent children from accessing these adult products,” John Taylor, founder and chief executive of Commonwealth Extracts, a Louisville-based hemp processor, said to lawmakers. Taylor stated that regulations will eliminate the bad actors that make it difficult to compete. “It costs a lot to do the right things, and when people make things in the basements and barns, it really hinders our ability to compete on a legitimate basis.” In May 2023, a federal appeals court ruled delta-8 THC legal under federal law. This led many states to propose legislation to regulate this cannabinoid, which is often sold at convenience stores, smoke shops and gas stations in states that have not legalized it. In February, Miller stated that these marketing campaigns have undermined our advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill to secure important industry goals such as increasing THC levels and regulating CBD. “But they have also sparked a number state legislative and regulatory actions which, while well-intentioned, have been drafted in such a broad way as to threaten the provision safe and healthy non-intoxicating products like hemp-derived CBD. We ask the FDA and state regulators for enforcement of existing laws to focus their efforts on crackingdown on intoxicating hemp products that pose a threat to public health and safety.

 

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