Lawmakers in West Virginia are proposing a ban on products containing delta-8 THC.
Bridgeport TV station WDTV reported that the legislation adding delta-8 THC to the state’s list of illegal drugs was prompted in part by an investigation by the West Virginia Agriculture Department.
Products containing delta-8 THC are sometimes sold in packages that look similar to well-known candy brands.
These products appeal to children, who are at risk of unknowingly digesting the intoxicating hemp-derived compound, the investigation found.
Senate Bill 546 was introduced this month and has not yet had a hearing.
Medical cannabis dispensaries opened in West Virginia in 2021, but the state still has some of the harshest marijuana laws in the country, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
Advocates for the state’s hemp industry argue that banning delta-8 THC outright is an overreach and punishes merchants who responsibly sell the products only to adults 21 and over.
Matt Peyton, who owns hemp company Thrax, told WDTV his delta-8 products are labeled as only for adults 21 and older.
