CHICAGO (WGEM) – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) wants state lawmakers to pass a bill cracking down on intoxicating hemp products commonly found in gas stations and other convenience stores.
He wants the state House of Representatives to pass legislation regulating consumer hemp products such as THC intoxicants like delta-8.
“Children across the State of Illinois are getting sick and they’re being hospitalized, and we can take action to prevent it,” Pritzker said at a press conference last Friday in Chicago.
The state Senate already passed the bill on May 26 with near unanimous support. Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, was the lone dissenting vote.
“These products have an intoxicating effect often to dangerous levels,” Pritzker said. “They’re untested and unregulated and are widely available and accessible to young people.”
Delta-8 is a common THC product. People can get high from consuming it according to the FDA. Unlike marijuana, it’s currently unregulated by the state. Products are sold at gas stations and other convenience stores often packaged similarly to popular snacks including candies and chip brands.
“As you might expect, those operating in this legal gray area do not share a commitment to the well-being of our children,” Pritzker said.
The bill would require intoxicating delta-8 products to be only sold at licensed dispensaries and only to people 21 and older. It would also ban deceptive packaging.
The bill would allow nonintoxicating products, such as hemp lotions, to be sold outside of a dispensary. Hemp industry advocates, however, fear the language in the bill would still restrict those products to dispensaries. Even though the final product is not intoxicating, they fear language in the bill would make it impossible to make and sell these products in traditional retail settings without violating state law.
The bill’s sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, D-Maywood, disagrees. She believes the legislation would not impact nonintoxicating products.
“We support the hemp industry,” she said. “This is not an effort to bash the hemp industry. We want the hemp industry to survive and thrive and continue evolving.”
Hemp advocates want legislation regulating their industry. It would ban look-alike products and require people to be at least 21 years old to buy intoxicating delta-8 and similar products.
Lawmakers are set to return to Springfield in January for the upcoming veto session. The House has until the new general assembly is sworn in on Jan. 8, 2025, to pass the bill. If they don’t, the entire legislative process must restart.
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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) wants state lawmakers to pass a bill cracking down on intoxicating hemp products commonly found in gas stations and other convenience stores. Read More
