Illinois is among 21 states in the nation where intoxicating hemp products remain unregulated, but Gov. JB Pritzker announced Dec. 13 that he is hoping to put the kibosh on that free-for-all.
The head executive for the sixth most populous state in the U.S. threw his support behind legislation that intends to regulate products with hemp derivatives, such as delta-8 THC, similarly to licensed and tested cannabis products.
The legislation, House Bill 4293, would require all products containing intoxicating cannabinoids to adhere to the same standards outlined in the state’s Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (CRTA), which Pritzker signed into law in June 2019 to legalize adult-use cannabis. This includes requirements for licensing, testing, taxing, packaging and age-gating.
Under current law, products with intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids are available in vape shops, smoke shops and convenience stores following their unintentional legalization in the 2018 Farm Bill—federal legislation that legalized hemp defined by a pre-harvest testing standard of 0.3% THC on a dry-weight basis. The federal legislation does not regulate finished goods.
“This regulatory gray area has created a loophole that put Illinois consumers of all ages, but particularly children, in danger while an underground market flourished—the exact opposite of what Illinois has done by regulating our cannabis industry,” Pritzker said in a Dec. 13 press release.“We’re closing that loophole and protecting Illinoisans of all ages by incorporating these products into the regulated and equitable system of dispensaries already in place in the state.”
H.B. 4293, which the Illinois House unanimously passed in April 2024, originally dealt with massage therapy misconduct. But the Senate gutted the language and replaced it to create the Hemp Consumer Products Act, which the upper chamber passed via a 54-1 vote in May 2024, sending it back to the House. The House has not acted on the amended bill.
Read more at Canna Business