Lawmakers in Washington state are considering a last-minute bill that would prohibit intoxicating hemp-derived products such as delta-8 THC from being manufactured or sold in the market, including by licensed marijuana industry participants.
According to the Associated Press, the recently introduced bill was spurred by the booming hemp industry.
Many businesses have turned to the Washington state hemp industry for cheaper biomass in order to produce intoxicating cannabis products that, because of their hemp origins, can also be sold at gas stations and other such retail outlets.
Such products have been sold to minors, said lawmakers, who are hoping to stop that practice.
The question of what should be done about cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC and others derived from hemp has divided the Washington state industry, the AP reported.
Many entrenched marijuana industry participants are taking advantage of hemp flower – which is typically far cheaper than marijuana flower – to manufacture and sell products that compete directly with licensed farmers’ MJ products.
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If Washington were to move forward with a ban on intoxicating hemp products, it would join at least 17 other states that have enacted similar bans over the past year, the AP noted.
New York, for instance, banned delta-8 THC last spring.
