Michigan Sheriff Tells Congress That Legalizing Marijuana Helps Offset Issues With Unregulated Intoxicating Hemp Products

A Michigan sheriff is advising Congress that state-level marijuana legalization has helped to mitigate issues associated to unregulated intoxicating hemp merchandise that non-legal states are experiencing.

At a listening to earlier than a Home Power & Commerce subcommittee final week titled “Combatting Current and Rising Illicit Drug Threats,” Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) spoke to Oakland County, Michigan Sheriff Michael Bouchard about challenges he’s witnessed with the proliferation of the unregulated hemp market in Virginia.

Particularly, the congressman requested the sheriff “concerning the influence of unregulated, intoxicating hemp merchandise on our children” and whether or not he feels we have to “create a regulatory framework to permit lawful merchandise to return to market.”

“I’ve been working with the [Food and Drug Administration, or FDA] on that, so I’ve received some concepts there,” Griffith stated. “However I simply need to know what you all have seen about these unregulated, intoxicating hemp merchandise on our kids.”

Bouchard, who has served because the county sheriff in Michigan since 1999 and can also be the vp of presidency affairs for the Main County Sheriffs Affiliation, replied that “we’ve got not seen an enormous variety of hemp merchandise now since we’ve got legalized marijuana in our state” in 2018.

Nonetheless, “what we’ve got seen is an adulteration of marijuana merchandise, and previous to that hemp, with other forms of synthetics and other forms of medicine like fentanyl,” he stated.

“So we’ve really discovered, outdoors of our provide chain, if you’ll—the authorized provide chain of marijuana our state—unlawful marijuana has been tampered with and has fentanyl in it, and so we’ve seen all of this stuff actually need a regulated, inspected course of, and I’d encourage that to occur, each with hemp and with marijuana.”

Whereas the sheriff didn’t look like arguing explicitly for marijuana legalization, his fundamental level concerning the relationship between the coverage change and the presence of unregulated hemp merchandise is consist with analysis investigating the difficulty.

For instance, final August a research discovered that charges of delta-8 THC exposures reported to poison facilities within the U.S. are considerably decrease in states the place marijuana is authorized and controlled and in people who banned the precise cannabinoid.

Relatedly, prior analysis has additionally confirmed that delta-8 THC web queries have been increased in states the place leisure hashish is unlawful and that self-reported delta-8 use amongst twelfth graders was increased in states with out marijuana laws.

On the hearing, Griffith additionally famous that “one of many issues we’ve seen in our area is THC gummy bears—or gummy bears which can be alleged to have CBD, after which there’s an unregulated, unknown quantity of THC in there—and children come up with them, they usually suppose they’re sweet, after which they overdose.”

He clarified that “after I say overdose, I’m not speaking about deaths at this level,” however stated “there have been some indications there may very well have been some mind harm.”

“Are you all not seeing that in your area? Is that only a Virginia drawback?” the congressman requested.

“No, we’re really seeing that as effectively. In reality, there’s PSAs in our area, and amongst a lot of states which have legalized marijuana and parts like gummies, advising children and oldsters about that and how one can retailer it and the risks of it,” Bouchard stated, including that “there’s some discussions about making an attempt to make a few of these gummies not appear to be little characters that appeal to a child, or the packaging that draws kids, as a result of they suppose it is likely to be sweet or it is likely to be nutritional vitamins, however in reality, it has a drug element.”

Griffith adopted up by saying “it actually could be useful if we might get some steerage from the FDA, wouldn’t it?”

“Sure, sir,” the sheriff stated.

The congressman has repeatedly criticized FDA over its inaction on establishing rules for hemp-derived CBD for the reason that crop and its derivatives have been legalized underneath the 2018 Farm Invoice.

He’s additionally beforehand launched laws that would supply a regulatory pathway for hemp compounds like CBD, together with over the last session.

Picture courtesy of Brian Shamblen.