Industrial hemp-infused edible products branded similar to popular food products may remain on some shelves in California despite emergency regulations adopted in the state in September.
“Industrial hemp-infused products designed to resemble popular brands appeal to our most vulnerable—children and teens—and pose serious adverse health risks that we must shield them from,” said Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we continue to protect our youth from harm. I urge all Californians to examine the packaging carefully and report any product that seems suspicious.”
Previously, hemp products were required to contain less than 0.3 percent THC. Other cannabis or marijuana products have a different set of regulations.
The products are mostly sold online or in gas stations, smoke shops, and liquor stores and are often accessible to children and teens, according to Bonta’s office. They feature text on the packaging including “medicated,” “THC,” “CBD,” “keep out of reach of children and animals,” or have an image of a cannabis leaf.
“We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products,” Newsom said in September.
The emergency regulations were issued in response to health incidents related to hemp products sold across the state.
“Studies show that use of these products can negatively impact cognitive functions, memory, and decision-making abilities in developing brains,” the governor’s office stated.
The emergency regulations were also designed to align the hemp product market more closely with the requirements for the legal cannabis market in California.
“These rules are a critical step in ensuring the products in the marketplace align with the law’s original intent, and we are committed to working with our state partners to enforce state law,” said Nicole Elliott, director of the Department of Cannabis Control.
“This draconian regulation alone will essentially devastate an emerging industry that consists largely of small business owners,” the lawsuit, filed on Sept. 24 by the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, claimed.
The hemp products often contain extremely high levels of THC and are advertised to youth in violation of the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act, according to Bonta’s office.
Children may experience delayed symptoms after eating hemp edibles, such as difficulty breathing, lethargy, dizziness, nausea, and loss of coordination. Side effects of synthetic cannabinoids include rapid heart rate, agitation, vomiting, trouble breathing, and psychosis.
The Epoch Times reached out to the California Cannabis Association and the California Hemp Association for comment but did not hear back by publication time.
