Tennessee Bill Would Regulate the Sale of Delta-8 THC

Tennessee leaders are again introducing legislation to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoids such as delta-8 and delta-10 THC after last year’s failed attempt. Although praised, another proponent simply wanted to legalize cannabis, which is naturally rich in delta-9 THC.

House Majority Leader William Lambers (R-Portland) and Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) announced on Tuesday that products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids, such as Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC, will be released. submitted a bill to regulate It’s his second attempt. to do so.

House Bill 403 It will tax and regulate hemp-derived cannabinoids. Products containing delta 8 THC are usually marketed as mildly psychoactive, with similar but weaker effects than delta 9 THC.

“Delta-8 is a legal substance that can be sold and packaged in the form of candies and gummies, often containing very high levels of THC,” said Lambers. “There are no regulations and no legitimate way of knowing exactly what you are buying. Nothing in the current law prohibits children from buying Delta 8.”

The bill would ban hemp-derived cannabinoid products from being sold to anyone under the age of 21. An additional 5% sales tax is added to all products sold in our store. Creates licensing, quality testing, regulatory and enforcement processes through the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

“The horses are outside the barn and we need to regulate this,” said Senator Briggs. “This stuff is everywhere and you can’t put that genie back in the bottle.”

What is Delta-8 THC?

The idea is that hemp-derived CBD can be converted into other compounds that are often marketed as psychoactive drugs. This does not match the common U.S. definition of hemp specially bred to be non-psychoactive.

Delta-8 THC occurs naturally, but only in trace amounts. chemical engineering news, Cannabis plants contain just under 0.1% delta 8 THC—Some plants contain as much as 1%, said Jeffrey Raber, co-founder and CEO of Werc Shop. C&E News The delta-8 THC naturally found in hemp is not economically sufficient for extraction.

However, hemp growers in the state support the bill despite allegations that hemp-derived cannabinoids are emerging. “We support anything that doesn’t impose burdensome regulations on the industry,” said Kelly Hess, executive director of the Tennessee Producers Coalition.

Hemp growers may support Delta 8 products, but other growers do not.

While artists such as Margo Price support legalization, Tennessee does not support hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Opponents don’t like the way certain cannabinoids are extracted from hemp, which usually means using natural solvents and acids to modify the CBD molecules found in large amounts in hemp.

Attempts to Regulate Delta 8 Last Year

Some states have moved to restrict hemp-derived cannabinoids. Utah etc.Tennessee would take a much different approach by regulating it instead.

Rep. Lamberth has sponsored previous attempts to regulate delta-8 THC and similar compounds. Some Tennessee legislators and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have said that by regulating Delta 8, the state would be legitimizing the industry.

House Bill 1927Previously introduced regulations mostly regulate Delta 8 by making it illegal except in trace-level concentrations. The bill was amended in April 2022 to be more specific to include other hemp-derived THC and derivative hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) such as Delta-9 and 10, but Non-THC hemp cannabinoids such as CBD were excluded.

Tennessee is one of 11 non-environmental states that have not legalized, regulated or decriminalized cannabis in any way.