Puerto Rico House health panel hears testimony on chemically altered hemp products, moves to seek ban

A House of Representatives Health Committee hearing on June 17, 2025, heard testimony from parents, lawmakers and health advocates about chemically altered hemp products sold in gas stations, vape shops and other retail outlets that witnesses say have caused serious health problems for young people.

The presiding member of the Health Committee, speaking at the start of the hearing, said: "Esta sería la última vista pública que vamos a hacer en torno a este proyecto." The panel heard a mother, Zulema Vázquez, describe her son's hospitalization and long-term health effects after using a commercially sold product she identified as containing delta‑8/THC.

Why it matters: witnesses and members said the products are widely available to minors, sometimes marketed with flavors and packaging that appeal to youth, and in preliminary tests submitted by the committee showed THC levels above federal hemp limits. The committee indicated it will amend the pending House bill to seek a prohibition rather than mere regulation.

Zulema Vázquez, who testified as a private citizen and mother, said her son experienced a psychotic episode after using a product and was hospitalized. "Mi nombre es Zulema Vázquez. Yo tuve una una situación con 1 de mis hijos... Con 1 de estos productos Delta 8 tuvo una psicosis y no durmió por 5 días. Luego de ahí estuvo hospitalizado," she told the committee. Vázquez described ongoing problems including short‑term memory loss, insomnia, anxiety and loss of a university scholarship.

Committee members and other witnesses raised several specific concerns: that many products labeled as hemp‑derived are chemically altered to produce intoxicating THC effects; that some items are sold in single‑use pre‑rolled formats and flavored edibles attractive to minors; and that local enforcement capacity is limited. The presiding member said the committee submitted five retail products to the Puerto Rico Institute of Forensic Sciences for testing and that preliminary results showed THC levels above federal limits in several samples: "En 1 de ellos se detectó que tiene el delta 9 THC... [y] también se detectó el Delta 9 THC con un 5.3 por 100," and another sample tested at 0.77 percent, both above the federal hemp threshold of 0.3 percent.

Representative Lizzie Burgos, a committee member, said the medical‑market model for regulated cannabis differs from the retail products under review and criticized weak oversight since passage of local law. "La FDA no ha probado la marihuana medicinal para absolutamente ningún tratamiento... esto es un mercado," Burgos said, arguing the current system has allowed a commercial market that reaches young adults and minors.

Committee members noted enforcement gaps at the Puerto Rico agriculture office created to oversee hemp (OLIC) and said that office has only four inspectors, a number the presiding member called inadequate for island‑wide compliance checks. The presiding member also told the committee the forensic laboratory's results are preliminary and that further, more detailed testing would require different laboratory processes (for example heat processing) and equipment.

Discussion vs. decision: the committee did not adopt a final vote during the hearing. Members said the commission will amend the pending bill to seek prohibition of these chemically altered hemp products and will continue work in the next legislative session to "traerla a Puerto Rico y presentarla próximamente." The presiding member cautioned that a fuller evidentiary and legal record is being assembled before filing final legislation.

Other voices in the hearing urged expanded public education, school protocols and coordination among health, education and enforcement agencies. Witnesses reported that school personnel often do not have protocols to handle confiscated products and that parents and teachers sometimes do not recognize the items as psychoactive.

The hearing closed after roughly 49 minutes of testimony and discussion; no formal vote or ordinance was recorded on the record at that time. Committee members said they will continue drafting amendments and seek additional testing and interagency cooperation before seeking final passage.