[[{“value”:”
A new study in California’s booming intoxicating hemp market has painted a damning picture of the largely unregulated products which have swept across the US in recent years.
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Joint Labor Management Cannabis Committee, in collaboration with Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs, tested 104 hemp products from nearly 70 brands.
While these products, marketed as hemp, have remained federally unregulated as they supposedly contain less than 0.3% THC, more than half of those studied exceeded this THC threshold.
The study, The Great Hemp Hoax, also found that 95% of the products contained synthetic cannabinoids, many of which were far stronger than delta-9 THC found in regulated adult-use and medical cannabis.
These include THCP, thought to be 30 times stronger than naturally occurring delta-9, alongside synthetic chemically converted delta-8 and delta-9.
In one notable case, the researchers found one gummy product which contained over 32 times the legal 10mg limit of THC per serving.
Vaping products were seemingly even more potent across the board, with ‘hemp’ vapes containing 268% more THC than the legal threshold on average.
“The presence of these high-potency synthetics distorts consumer expectations and increases health risks,” said Dr Josh Swider, a co-author of the report. “Many of these substances act more like designer drugs than natural cannabis.”
Aside from potency issues, the study also uncovered what it called ‘rampant tax fraud’ in the industry, with 95% of products tested selling without collecting California’s required sales tax, with none of the vendors paying the state’s 15% excise tax.
It is due to this lack of regulation and ability to undercut traditional cannabis companies that the rapid rise of intoxicating hemp substances has become so controversial, and states are moving rapidly to regulate it.
Just this week, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom moved to further extend an emergency ban on hemp-derived THC products. The prohibition, which originally took effect in September 2024, was set to expire but will now continue for at least another 90 days, with the possibility of a final extension.
It is also worth noting that the cannabis industry (who authored this study) is as keen as politicians to crack down on the industry as it is seen as a major competitor with more freedom and cheaper prices.
“}]] A new study in California’s booming intoxicating hemp market has painted a damning picture of the largely unregulated products which have swept across the US in recent years. Read More
