Language designed to help farmers has been exploited to harm consumers
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin are co-leading 18 other states plus the District of Columbia in a bipartisan effort to call on Congress to fix language in the 2018 Farm Bill, which they say bad actors have used to flood the market with unregulated intoxicating hemp.
Rokita
“This legislation was supposed to boost industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity,” AG Rokita said. “That’s a goal that Hoosiers support without reservation. We’re talking about a plant that can be used to make auto parts, biodegradable plastic, biofuel, paper, textiles, and other useful products.
Opportunists, however, have seized on perceived loopholes they believe enable them legally to sell THC-based products previously forbidden by federal rules, regardless of state-level regulations. These products often take the form of candy-like edibles attractive to children and adolescents.
“The intent of these federal hemp provisions was never to expand the availability of intoxicating products,” AG Rokita said. “But now we have a $28 billion grey market flooding our communities with unregulated, highly potent products that are confusing to Hoosier businesses and dangerous to consumers of all ages.”
Many states have seen consumers poisoned by poorly manufactured products and misleading labels. Bad actors have taken advantage of popular THC-infused products, like edibles, and copy legitimate packaging to sell candy or snacks. These are particularly dangerous in the hands of children.
“By rewriting this legislation, Congress can support farmers’ ability to capitalize on the industrial-hemp market without opening the door to dangerous intoxicants,” AG Rokita said. “We’re calling on them to do exactly that.”