Illinois State Representatives, hemp advocates, and delta-8 business owners today convened in the State of Illinois Building to discuss their intentions to quickly bring together various stakeholders to negotiate a comprehensive plan to “safely and fairly regulate” the manufacture and sale of delta-8 and other similar intoxicating hemp products in Illinois.
After the 10:30 a.m. meeting, Illinois State Representatives Lakesia Collins, La Shawn Ford, and Cyril Nichols announced they will invite fellow lawmakers, impacted businesses, advocates, and other stakeholders to come together to develop a comprehensive plan for safe regulation of delta-8 and other similar intoxicating hemp products in Illinois. Lawmakers are calling for additional safety measures, including:
Raising the purchase age to 21
Implementing strict licensing
Testing and labeling regulations
A tax on intoxicating delta hemp products
The legislators were joined at the meeting by representatives of several local companies that make or sell delta hemp products who will sign a “Responsible Business Pledge,” promising continued voluntary compliance with basic safety measures such as selling products only to those over 21 years of age. They plan to propose legislation to regulate the delta hemp industry in time for the Illinois General Assembly to consider during its fall veto session.
This meeting comes after a ban of delta-8 products, led by support from Verano, Cresco Labs, NGW, and Pharmacann, played a significant role in the disagreement on the recently failed omnibus. The proponents of the ban argued that delta-8 is a dangerous synthetic drug that needed to be banned to protect children and were asking for a total ban on all delta-8 products with no exceptions.
“We need everyone to get together quickly so we can come up with strong regulations that the Illinois General Assembly can consider at the start of our veto session in October,” said state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford. “But we must have a balanced approach. We want to regulate rather than eliminate delta hemp businesses. Perpetuating the racist war on drugs by banning new products reflexively is not the answer. Delta hemp products are a billion dollars marketplace. Banning it will just expand the monopoly that Big Cannabis already has. Illinois shouldn’t ban a natural health alternative popular with patients. And we can’t afford to ignore an industry that could bring millions of dollars in tax revenue to the state.”
“We need to make sure that any intoxicating delta hemp product available in Illinois is carefully tested and is labeled with ingredients, dosages and any other pertinent information,” said Collins. “Consumers must know what they’re getting and where it comes from. And just like alcohol, tobacco and cannabis, delta hemp products should only be sold to legal adults. Anyone selling these products must be licensed. You break the rules, you lose your license, it’s as simple as that.”
“The majority of Illinois’ delta hemp industry are honest and legitimate businesspeople who already card people and take great care to ensure their merchandise is carefully tested, labeled, and safe for consumers,” said Nichols. “But I am sure there are shady people out there cutting corners to make a fast buck. That’s exactly why I have already introduced legislation based on how Florida has been regulating the delta hemp industry for several years now. The sky doesn’t seem to have fallen there or in other states where delta hemp products are legally sold with strong regulations in place. I hope we learn from their experiences and put in place effective regulations quickly, rather than reinventing the proverbial wheel in Illinois again.”
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