Following buzz surrounding delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a hemp product certifying agency has declared its opposition to intoxicating products in the industry.
The U.S. Hemp Authority, an organization that creates regulatory standards and certifies hemp and CBD businesses through third-party auditing, has announced that it won’t certify hemp products that are marketed for their intoxicating effects. This includes any product, including delta-8-THC, that contains “a total tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of more than 0.3% on a dry-weight basis,” the organization said in a news release, which is published on the U.S. Hemp Roundtable website.
“Recent press reports about the proliferation of potentially unsafe, intoxicating products calling themselves hemp have concerned consumers, retailers, law enforcement and policymakers,” stated Marielle Weintraub, Ph.D., president of the U.S. Hemp Authority. “We felt it was necessary to take a strong stand against these products so that people will know that the U.S. Hemp Authority seal designates products that are truly hemp and that meet our rigorous standards.”
The agency’s announcement follows a warning put out by U.S. Hemp Roundtable not to market hemp products for “any intoxicating value or euphoric effect,” calling it “irresponsible.”
READ MORE: U.S. Hemp Roundtable Warns Against Marketing Psychoactive Properties of Delta-8
Delta-8-THC offers an opportunity to hemp growers at a time when the competition in the cannabidiol (CBD) market is fierce. (Though it is naturally occurring in cannabis, delta-8-THC can be converted in a lab from CBD and delta-9-THC.)
Still, the controversial cannabinoid is debated among the industry over both its legality and the way it's being marketed.
Read more Hemp Grower delta-8 coverage here.
