Delta-8 THC: Legal loopholes, health risks, and the need for urgent need for action in our Friday Fact.

View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]

Your source for the latest news in drug policy. Visit our website ([link removed]) for more news.

This is The Drug Report’s ([link removed]) Friday Fact report: Unveiling Delta-8 THC - Legal Status, Rising Concerns, and Urgent Need for Action

What is Delta-8 THC and How Did it Get Legalized:

Delta-8 THC is a cannabinoid found in the hemp plant and is structurally similar to Delta-9 THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana that makes people feel “high.” Delta-8 THC was inadvertently legalized in 2018 when that year’s Farm Bill legalized hemp. Hemp is required to have a Delta-9 THC content lower than 0.3%, but unlimited amounts of Delta-8 THC can be synthesized from the plant. However, Delta-8 THC can be converted into much stronger concentrations. There is no federal regulatory framework for––or ban on––Delta-8 THC.

As a result, thousands of unregulated Delta-8 THC products are now being sold across the country. Many of these products are packed to look like candies and snacks, which increase the risk of kids accidentally consuming them.

Report Highlights:

Information provided by the FDA ([link removed]) indicates that poison control centers received 2,362 exposure cases of Delta-8 THC products between January 1, 2021, and February 28, 2022. Of these, 41% involved pediatric patients under the age of 18. Unintentional exposures accounted for 40% of cases, with pediatric patients comprising 82% of these incidents. Seventy percent of the exposure cases required evaluation at healthcare facilities, and 8% of those were critical enough to necessitate admission to intensive care units. Alarmingly, one pediatric case resulted in death ([link removed]) .

The image above displays a significant increase in poison control calls due to Delta-8 THC exposure across several states within a year.
* The Blue Ridge Poison Center at UVA Health, one of three poison control centers in Virginia, saw calls to the poison center rise from 20 calls in 2020 to 112 calls in 2022, marking a 460% increase ([link removed]) .
* In Florida, poison centers experienced a 49% increase ([link removed]) in calls, from 168 in 2021 to 250 in 2022.
* Tennessee reported approximately 115 calls from 2021 to 2022, with 32 affecting children under 6, and in the following year, calls doubled to 248 ([link removed]) in 2022 to 2023, with 110 involving young children.

Policy Recommendation: Ban Intoxicating Hemp-Derivatives

We recommend a two-tiered approach to addressing the issue of hemp-derived Delta-8 THC:

1. Federal Action:
* Close the existing legal loophole for hemp-derived THC in the 2018 Farm Bill.
* Implement a federal ban on Delta-8 THC to maintain consistency nationwide.

2. State Action:
* Follow Arkansas's model legislation ([link removed]) , featuring a clear definition of intoxicating products, banning their sale and possession, and enforcing regulatory compliance effectively.
* 17 states ([link removed]) ––including pro-marijuana states like Colorado, Oregon, and Washington––have already banned Delta-8 THC.

Take Action

Congress can close the Delta-8 loophole this year by clarifying the hemp legalization provisions to ban the manufacturing and sale of psychoactive hemp-derived compounds.

Please urge your Representatives and Senators to support closing this loophole by participating in our campaign through Voter Voice ([link removed]) .
Received this email from a friend? Sign up here! ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed] [link removed] [link removed]

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) ([link removed]) is an alliance of organizations and individuals dedicated to a health-first approach to marijuana policy. We are professionals working in mental health and public health. We are bipartisan. We are medical doctors, lawmakers, treatment providers, preventionists, teachers, law enforcement officers and others who seek a middle road between incarceration and legalization. Our commonsense, third-way approach to marijuana policy is based on reputable science and sound principles of public health and safety.

Copyright (C) 2024 Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.
Our mailing address is:
Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions
107 S West St. Ste. 757
Alexandria, VA 22314
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe ([link removed])

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions . 107 S West St. Ste. 757 . Alexandria, VA 22314 . USA