A new proposal reportedly would close the federal loophole responsible for the expansion of dangerous hemp products.
In 2018, Congress passed the federal Agriculture Improvement Act to let farmers grow cannabis plants low in THC for use in textiles like hemp rope or cloth.
THC is the main psychoactive substance in marijuana, and health experts warn the drug poses serious risks.
Instead of growing hemp for textiles, manufacturers have found ways to extract and refine the little bit of THC in the plants. Doing this on a commercial scale means they can produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.
Last week a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee advanced a spending bill that would tighten down on these dangerous products. The legislation is the first meaningful restriction on hemp products in Congress in nearly a decade.
As we have pointed out, drinks with as much THC as recreational marijuana products have raised serious public health and safety concerns.
In response, many state and federal policymakers have pushed back against these dangerous drugs.
For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that federal law prohibits hemp-derived THC in food products.
Massachusetts, South Dakota, California, and many other states have successfully prohibited food, drinks, and other products that contain THC made from hemp.
In 2023, Arkansas passed Act 629 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) to prohibit THC made from industrial hemp.
This year, multiple bills legalizing THC-infused drinks were filed at the Arkansas Legislature. Fortunately, none of those bad bills passed, and lawmakers enacted good legislation to help further protect Arkansans from these drugs.
We appreciate Arkansas’ policymakers taking this issue seriously, and we hope Congress will take action to close the loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill and restrict these dangerous drugs.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
