Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed emergency regulations aimed at regulating the manufacture and sale of illegal hemp products containing intoxicating cannabinoids such as THC.
The new rules would close loopholes that manufacturers in the “intoxicating marijuana” industry have exploited to circumvent regulations on cannabis products, allowing them to sell consumables with severe intoxicating effects, Newsom's office said. said in a statement Friday morning.
In recent years, this product has become widely available at some smoke shops, gas stations, and other retail stores.
Regulations require that such products do not contain detectable levels of THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) or other cannabinoids, that product packaging is limited to five servings, and that sales must be made under the age of 21. It is required to be restricted to the above.
“We are taking steps to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products,” Newsom said in a statement.
If approved by the state's Office of Administrative Law, the regulation would go into effect immediately and would then require sellers to restrict purchases and remove non-compliant cannabis products from shelves in accordance with the changes.
State and local law enforcement agencies and state regulators, including the Department of Public Health, the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and the Bureau of Taxation and Fees Administration, will begin enforcing the new rules as soon as they are approved, according to Newsom's statement. He says he will.
The governor introduced the proposed regulations weeks after Assembly Bill 2223, a state law introducing similar changes, died in committee.
Dr. Lynn Silver, a senior adviser at the Public Health Institute, an Oakland-based independent nonprofit advocacy group that advocated AB 2223, said the new regulations “represent significant progress in protecting children and teens. ”.
“As it stands, a 10-year-old child can walk into a vape store and buy an addictive product that contains more THC than legal edible cannabis products,” Silver said. “These regulations will be a big step towards solving that.”
The new rules are a response to an increase in health incidents related to “illegal hemp products, particularly beverages and food products, that state regulators have identified as being sold throughout the state.” Children are especially at risk when ingesting these products,” Newsom said in a statement Friday.
At a press conference Friday morning, Newsom said he has created a new initiative to address the issue after his preteen son told him he had an older friend who was “buying things he shouldn't have” at the grocery store. He said he felt a sense of vitality. Newsom said she went to see for herself and found the addictive beverage sharing shelf space with LaCroix seltzer water and other non-addictive beverages.
“This is disgraceful and disgraceful, and the industry takes full responsibility for not policing itself against the proliferation of these addictive products that are harming our children.” said Newsom, standing next to piles of colorfully packaged addictive cannabis drinks and gummies. He said he made the purchase on Thursday, later adding, “I've had enough.” So with these emergency regulations, we can move forward to crack down on that. ”
In 2021, Newsom signed state legislation that limits THC levels in hemp-containing foods, beverages, and cosmetics to 0.3% and establishes labeling and testing requirements for such products. At the time, his office said the goal was to make non-intoxicating hemp products legal and safe to sell.
In the intervening years, some manufacturers have found ways to make hemp products that intoxicate consumers without violating the 2021 requirements.
“These emergency regulations will protect our youth and create a safer, more transparent market while preserving the integrity of California’s cannabis legalization framework and the critical tax revenue it generates.” says the California Cannabis Industry Association. said in an emailed statement Friday.
