WASHINGTON, Sept.
30, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Last week, the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC) met with more than 20 state
regulators at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
(NASDA) conference on what is working and not working in their state hemp
programs. NIHC officials repeatedly heard their deep concerns about the impact
of delta-8 THC on public health and the need to revise the federal definition
of hemp.
In light of those meetings, and
after statements of similar concerns recently made by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
NIHC issued its position on delta-8:
"NIHC continues to
believe that consumer safety is paramount for all products in the hemp
market. The safety profile of delta-8 THC products is questionable, and we
believe that they should not be sold or marketed as hemp-derived products.
"The
clearest pathway to protect consumer safety and create a hemp economy that
works for everyone is to revise the federal definition of hemp to include all
tetrahydrocannabinols, as recommended by NASDA with the bipartisan support of
45 states, and as broadly supported by stakeholders throughout the industry,
regulatory officials, and in both chambers and parties on Capitol Hill.
Such a clarification in statute would unequivocally prevent the sale of
products containing unsafe concentrations of delta-8 THC as hemp.
"Delta-8
THC has flooded the market because of the lack of regulatory certainty from the
FDA on cannabidiol and other hemp-derived products. Along with Congress
changing the statutory definition of hemp to 1 percent total THC, the FDA can
do its part to protect consumer safety by making clear guidelines for
hemp-derived products as Congress intended in the 2018 Farm Bill."
NIHC Government Affairs Committee
members continue to have conversations and look at more intricate policy
solutions on delta-8. The committee will release more details in the coming
weeks. In the meantime, the mid-November Hemp Business
Summit in Washington, D.C., offers opportunities for
NIHC members, industry stakeholders and regulators to actively engage with one
another in person on how to regulate delta-8.
