Kentucky lawmakers submit bill regulating Delta 8 THC products to Gov. Beshear

Kentucky lawmakers submitted a bill regulating hemp-derived Delta 8 THC products to Gov. House Bill 544, from state Rep. Rebecca Raymer R-Morgantown, was sent to the state Senate for consideration earlier this month after being approved in a 97 - 0 vote in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Under the measure, those under 21 will be prohibited from purchasing Delta 8 THC products. The bill requires retailers to keep the products behind a counter. It would put guidelines for labeling and a testing and approval process for all products.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services has until August 1 to start with the process of regulating Delta 8 THC and any other hemp-derived substances.

The Kentucky hemp program is a staple for our agricultural community, but the selling and use of unregulated THC is a danger to every Kentuckian who may use it, Raymer said in a press release. These products have no standards for production. If someone were to purchase Delta 8 they have no way of knowing if it is safe. This measure will protect consumers and enhance the industry. Delta 8 THC is a chemical component of the cannabis plant, and although it occurs naturally in very small concentrations, it can produce mild psychoactive effects in some people, similar to Delta 9 THC, the compound that gets you high New industrial methodologies enable the controversial Delta 8 THC to be converted from CBD derived from hemp. The federal Farm Bill that legalized hemp is not subject to the exact testing requirements as cannabis, creating a legal loophole.

In November, Beshear regulated the sale of Delta 8 by signing an executive order along with another order regulating cannabis, even though the substance has yet to be federally scheduled.

There are no checks on how it is packaged and sold. Beshear said earlier in the day that Delta 8 must be sold and purchased safely in the commonwealth. The structure can be used as a template for when the General Assembly legalizes medical cannabis. That means we can learn in real-time, train our people, and be ready to go.