Most hemp flowers and gummies sold by Oregon retailers tested positive for THC at levels higher than allowed under state rules, a new state analysis found.
The findings — still preliminary — are a warning to consumers of popular CBD products that the flowers and edibles they’re buying might be far more intoxicating than their labels purport.
The results are also cautionary for parents; regulators found few retailers required age verification for products masquerading as non-intoxicating hemp.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and the Oregon Department of Agriculture teamed up to test hemp and cannabis products sold in Oregon, dubbing the analysis “Operation Clean Leaf.”
Hemp and cannabis represent different types of the same species, Cannabis sativa. The gene that fires up marijuana’s production of psychoactive THC is essentially turned down in hemp. By law, the plant may contain no more than 0.3 percent THC.
In other words, hemp isn’t supposed to get you high.
Early results from the state’s testing, however, suggests otherwise.
Every hemp flower tested by the state detected THC levels exceeding the potency cutoff, with results ranging from 0.4% to an extraordinarily high potency rate of 30%.
In addition, the overwhelming majority of purchases of hemp edibles and flowers did not involve a check of the buyer’s age, “raising concerns about youth access to high-potency products,” an Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commision spokesperson said in a statement Thursday.
Oregon law restricts the sale of some hemp products to only people 21 and over.
One in 10 hemp edibles — such as gummies — had “clear potency labeling linked to verifiable test results, making it difficult for consumers to know what they are purchasing,” the agency said.
And the study found concerns with packaging, finding many products “marketed in a manner appealing to minors.”
Regulators also analyzed pesticide contamination, a longstanding challenge for states that oversee regulated cannabis markets.
Testing found one batch of cannabis with 10 times the allowed amount of pesticide residue; the discovery prompted the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission to “immediately recall the product.”
This report will be updated.
— Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on criminal justice. Reach her at 503-276-7184; ncrombie@oregonian.com
The findings — still preliminary — are a warning to consumers of popular CBD products that the flowers and edibles they’re buying might be far more intoxicating than their labels purport. Read More
