Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed new emergency restrictions on California's hemp industry, citing an urgent need to protect children. His concern: a class of loosely regulated products that contain intoxicating levels of THC, the compound known for causing cannabis highs.
While many agree some changes are necessary, a number of business owners and consumers worry the governor's new rules are too strict and will kneecap a nascent industry just as it's hitting the mainstream. Critics say the proposed regulations would effectively outlaw a wide range of popular tinctures, capsules, beverages and other products derived from industrial hemp, including those that contain mostly CBD, a non-intoxicating cousin of THC. Growing in popularity Such offerings — ranging from mild CBD sleep gummies to potent THC-infused drinks — are growing in popularity.
While they can have similar effects, hemp-based products differ from those containing cannabis-derived THC, which is sold at licensed dispensaries. Hemp products are widely available at liquor stores, gas stations and smoke shops, a key concern Gov. Gavin Newsom cited in prompting his action.
Newsom announced the state's proposed emergency rules on Sept. 6, after a bill to regulate the hemp industry failed in the Legislature. The regulations are under administrative review; if enacted, they would make it illegal for hemp products to contain any "detectable" amount of THC.
The proposed rules also ban about 30 "comparable" .