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Lawmakers hear evidence that 'intoxicating hemp' products often exceed federal THC limits and elude oversight
Summary
Attorneys, regulated dispensary executives and industry witnesses told the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy that products marketed as "hemp" and sold in gas stations and vape shops often contain intoxicating levels of delta‑9 THC, fail safety testing and avoid age checks and taxes.
A panel of attorneys, dispensary operators and industry advocates on Tuesday told the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy that an out‑of‑control market for products marketed as "hemp" is undermining the regulated cannabis industry and posing public-health risks.
Jesse Alderman, an attorney at Foley Hoag, called federal hemp law a "legal fiction" that has allowed highly intoxicating products to be sold outside the regulated system. Alderman explained that the 2018 federal Farm Bill defines hemp by a delta‑9 THC concentration below 0.3% on a dry‑weight basis and that the combination of that definition and modern extraction methods has produced edibles, vapes and beverages that are intensely psychoactive while technically meeting the federal metric.
"You can have gummies…
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