Gov. Newsom’s Total Ban On Hemp THC Could Crush California’s Billion-Dollar Industry, Say Stakeholders (UPDATED)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include reactions from California hemp industry stakeholders.
California Governor Gavin Newsom made a sudden move on Friday, proposing emergency regulations that would completely ban THC, the intoxicating compound found in cannabis, from all hemp products in the state.
The proposed regulations, released by the California Department of Public Health, would require that all industrial hemp food, beverage and dietary supplements produced for human consumption would need to be free of THC and other cannabinoids, reported the Hill.
Hemp products, which are essentially unregulated, can be easily bought online or at places like gas stations or convenience stores throughout the state. Newsom said in a statement that the emergency rules were necessary to protect children.
“We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores. We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products,” Newsom said.
In …