The Governor Of Virginia Is Trying To Get A Bill That Limits Hemp To Be Changed So That Patients Can Still Get CBD Products!
The governor’s legislation is another step in his campaign to outlaw harmful THC intoxicants, including man-made substances like delta-8.
A proposed state law in Virginia that would exempt some non-intoxicating CBD products from harsh new controls on the sale of delta-8 THC and other hemp-based products that cause consumers to become high is being modified by Governor Glenn Youngkin (R).
The governor of Virginia is recommending a carveout for goods that have a 25-to-1 ratio of CBD to THC following substantial opposition to a planned rule restricting THC to 2 milligrams per package, which many hemp proponents have claimed would virtually eliminate the sector in Virginia. Cannabis plants contain both compounds, but hemp plants typically have larger concentrations of the non-intoxicating CBD and marijuana plants tend to have higher concentrations of the psychoactive THC.
Youngkin put out his revisions as a substitute bill, a procedure usually utilized for major changes to the law as opposed to modest tweaks.
Youngkin spokesman Macaulay Porter said on Tuesday that the governor’s legislation is a continuation of his attempts to tighten down on harmful THC intoxicants, including synthetic compounds like delta-8.
The modified measure reiterates that any company selling edible or smokable hemp products that are subject to the proposed regulations would be required to register with the state for a $1,000 registration fee and risk fines of up to $10,000 per day for selling items that are illegal or mislabeled.
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Some of the modifications were made in reaction to opposition from Lisa Smith, a mother from Virginia who had eight years earlier pushed for the legalization of CBD oil as a treatment for her daughter’s severe epilepsy. Youngkin and Todd Gilbert, the speaker of the House and a Republican from Shenandoah, were both open to Smith’s fears that an excessively broad law may harm the shipments of CBD oils she routinely receives from a Colorado-based company.
According to comments from parents whose children have benefited from CBD products, the replacement also includes a specifically worded exemption that makes it clear that the law would not ban those therapeutic items, Porter said. In addition to addressing these very important products, Governor Youngkin’s replacement goes even further to rid store shelves of illicit goods that put kids in the hospital.
Despite having intoxicating effects resembling those of marijuana, largely unregulated THC products have started to appear at smoke shops and convenience stores. State legislators have been debating how to regulate these items for months. Outside of medicinal dispensaries with state licenses, retail marijuana sales are still prohibited in Virginia. These establishments may benefit if the state cracks down on companies selling substitutes like delta-8.
Youngkin has also advocated for the elimination of a contentious regulation that called for the addition of bittering chemicals to any topical CBD products, such as lotions and ointments. Although such items aren’t supposed to be consumed, giving them a purposely unpleasant taste was suggested as a strategy to discourage consumers from considering doing so. A warning label saying that new topical products are not meant for human consumption must still be included, according to the law.
The idea to permit higher THC levels in hemp-based goods has drawn criticism from those who believe it will defeat the goal of the legislation and give shops more freedom to find inventive ways to get around the new regulations.
According to JM Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, a group that supports marijuana legalization, while Governor Youngkin’s amendments would ban the sale of synthetic marijuana-like products in the commonwealth, they would also keep products that contain THC in excessive amounts on store shelves.
The Virginia Cannabis Association, a lobbying group that represents many in the hemp sector, has made recommendations that are essentially reflected in the legislative modifications that Youngkin has suggested and that the General Assembly will discuss on April 12. The amendment safeguards many of the full-spectrum CBD products that the Virginia Cannabis Association was trying to save, according to former delegate Greg Habeeb, a lobbyist for the organization.
The Youngkin administration, according to Habeeb, was intensely focused on achieving its goals for public health and safety while causing the hemp industry the least amount of harm feasible. They seem to have found a good balance, in my opinion.
The Virginia Board of Pharmacy will begin handing over control of the medicinal marijuana program on January 1 to the newly established Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. The governor also suggested technical changes to pending legislation. Youngkin and other Republicans have rejected efforts to allow marijuana retail sales outside of the medical program, despite the fact that the authority was intended to serve as a regulator for a recreational marijuana business.
