Is ‘Gas Station Weed’ On Its Way Out? U.S. Cannabis Council Proposes Regulation Of Delta-8, Texas Wants Prohibition
The U.S. Cannabis Council penned a letter to the Senate and House Agriculture Committee urging it to address the “national crisis caused by unregulated intoxicating hemp products.” This issue, once again under the spotlight, transcends the simplistic framework of a debate between regulators and prohibitionists.
The fact is that the U.S. Cannabis Council represents a concerted effort to lobby on behalf of the regulated cannabis industry. They are now pushing to regulate Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC—compounds derived from hemp— as marijuana, putting an end to the “grey market.” The main argument centers around the absence of testing and targeted marketing towards minors.
“Absent federal product safety oversight, hemp legalization has led to a national consumer market filled with untested and unregulated intoxicating products. This has culminated in the widespread distribution of unsafe consumer products, often produced using unregulated industrial-scale chemical processes that fall short of the basic product safety standards expected by American consumers,” the Council stated. “Moreover, the ease of purchasing these products online, at gas stations, and in convenience stores—without any age restrictions or labeling requirements—gives consumers a false sense of security regarding the safety and …