When the Rolling Meadows City Council unanimously approved a ban on hemp-derived THC, kratom and similar products last October, Mayor Lara Sanoica offered the one observation that should drive a debate that continues to stymie the Illinois General Assembly.
“The evidence is clear that these substances can cause serious side effects, and there is inadequate information to conclude their usefulness as a treatment for any illness or condition. As a (city) council, we want to err on the side of caution when it comes to the safety of our residents,” Sanoica said.
Caution is clearly called for with these substances, amid another class of such agents identified scientifically as delta-8 products. They are available online and at specialty stores with little or no regulation. They’re often touted for a variety of health benefits, but many have also been treated with chemical additives that can make them even more intoxicating than highly regulated cannabis products to which they are related. Even more concerning, many are marketed specifically to children and teenagers in packaging designed to look like popular candies, cookies, corn chips and more.
They’ve steadily grown in popularity and have been linked to serious mental and physical crises, often requiring hospitalization. Health and safety officials are raising alarms, but a solution has been elusive that protects the rights of safety-minded businesses and growers while assuring the products are carefully regulated and kept out of the hands of vulnerable young people.
A central problem has been that the federal government — which set the stage for the problem with regulatory changes to the Farm Bill in 2018 — has been slow to create consistent statutory standards, leaving states and even local communities like Rolling Meadows to fend for themselves.
A September report from the Reason Foundation states the situation clearly: “State regulations governing hemp products vary widely and are unevenly enforced, creating a patchwork of rules that can change dramatically from one state to the next. Unlike the market for marijuana, which has remained largely intrastate due to federal prohibition, federally legal hemp products can cross state lines more freely. This has resulted in a marketplace where consumers face an increasingly confusing array of products of uncertain quality while businesses must navigate a shifting and uncertain regulatory environment.”
Sanoica herself described the challenge in an interview with our Editorial Board last month, noting that Rolling Meadows’ efforts can have only minimal effect if users can just drive to one of the city’s larger neighbors to get the products. Nor is Rolling Meadows alone in this dilemma. Antioch, Lake Zurich, Des Plaines, Wheeling, Geneva and North Aurora are among a growing number of Chicago suburbs trying to address the problem with bans on the sale of hemp-related products, adding to the “patchwork” approach described by the Reason Foundation report.
One promising, if imperfect, attempt has passed the Illinois Senate but stalled in the House. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has expressed concern about the problem and said he would likely consider signing legislation if it came to his desk. At the moment, this legislation at least provides the framework for the state’s best hope for a consistent approach that meets the immediate goal of erring on the side of caution to help protect kids and other consumers.
But it cannot be the final word. Ultimately, the dangerous patchwork of hemp regulations needs to be seriously addressed with a single overriding strategy. This is not a philosophy that seems to carry much weight in the coming Trump administration and Republican-dominated Congress, but considering the real and present threats, hopefully it is a topic on which both parties can find common ground — and soon.
When the Rolling Meadows City Council unanimously approved a ban on hemp-derived THC, kratom and similar products last October, Mayor Lara Sanoica offered the one observation that should drive a debat… Read More
