In a decisive move, Governor Gavin Newsom has unleashed emergency regulations aimed squarely at protecting California's youth from the potentially dangerous health effects of hemp products laced with THC. As reported by the Governor's Office, these newly proposed rules by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) put an ironclad ban on the sale of such items, particularly targeting those that may appeal to children.
Newsom's hammer comes down on all industrial hemp consumables that dare to hold any detectable level of THC, imposing a twenty-one-and-over age restriction for purchase and restricting servings per package to five. "We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores. We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products," Governor Newsom said, as stated by the Governor's Office.
The charge is being led with support from the state's top health officer, Tomás Aragón, "Intoxicating industrial hemp products can cause illness and injury to California consumers," and adding that the goal is to ensure marketplace compliance with state laws for protecting public health, he told the Governor's office. The regulatory net also ropes in other state departments, with initiatives to bring the sales oversight of hemp products on par with the well-guarded cannabis industry in California.
Nicole Elliott, helming the Department of Cannabis Control, reinforced the urgency and determination for the reformation, "These rules are a critical step in ensuring the products in the marketplace align with the law’s original intent, and we are committed to working with our state partners to enforce state law," as she expressed. These regulations, effective upon administrative approval, will be strictly enforced, and retailers must act fast to yank any THC-toting consumable hemp products from their shelves to stay on the right side of the law.
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