Children can walk into corner stores in Mississippi and along with candy and snacks, they can also buy "intoxicating hemp" products that mimic the effects of marijuana. Now, lawmakers are hoping to do something about it.
Hemp-derived products contain compounds such as Delta-6, 8, 9, 10 and THCa -- all similar to the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, Delta-9 THC. Unlike cannabis, hemp products aren't subject to testing or packaging requirements, which means they could be laced with dangerous pesticides and mycotoxins, or they could be way more potent than advertised.
State Representative Lee Yancey said the current law does nothing to prevent these products, often sold as gummy edibles or vape cartridges, from ending up in the hands of children.
"Some of our schools' principals have complained that students are vaping these products, and they're high all day at school, and you know, they need some help," Yancey told WLBT.
That's why Yancey introduced House Bill 1676, also known as the Mississippi Intoxicating Hemp Regulation Act. Currently up for consideration, the bill would require all intoxicating hemp products to be sold through licensed medical marijuana dispensaries and limit sales to people at least 21 years old. The legislation defines intoxicating products as any single item with at least .05 milligrams THC or a package with at least 2.5 milligrams total THC.
"We're here to try and move those products to a place where they can be, you know, have more of a watchful eye on them," Yancey told WLBT.
However, not everyone is on board with the legislation. If the bill becomes law, it would be "ripe for challenge," Rod Kight, an attorney who represents hemp companies, told Politico.
"States often trip over themselves in enacting laws that attempt to regulate cannabinoids by virtue of their intoxicating potential," Kight said. "The courts have said that a lot of these laws are so vague and ambiguous that they're unenforceable."
The bill has a floor deadline set for Thursday, WLBT reported.