Pa. AG Dave Sunday joins colleagues urging Congress act on hemp-derived THC products

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a bipartisan group of colleagues on a letter seeking congressional action to stop the sale of hemp-derived THC products such as Delta-8.

“For too long, bad actors have used the loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill to profit from super-potent, hemp-derived THC products by placing them in gas stations, convenience stores, and online marketplaces,” Sunday said in a statement.

“This unregulated market allows children to buy these extremely potent products,” said Sunday, “oftentimes without any knowledge that the products are intoxicating, addictive, and not safe.”

The 38 attorneys general who signed the letter are asking Congress to clarify the federal definition of hemp and halt the sale of THC products containing synthetic cannabinoids. The letter was sent to congressional committee leaders, including Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

Sunday’s statement said that hemp-derived THC products have “flooded” the market since the 2018 Farm Bill was passed “due to a misinterpretation of the bill’s language.”

Synthetic cannabinoids, such as Delta-8, Delta-10 and THC-0, are sold in gas stations, convenience stores and online, according to the statement.

Some of the products being sold are more potent than marijuana, Sunday’s statement said. Also, their packaging frequently appeals to children who mistakenly think they are candy or soda.

“Congress never meant to legalize these products in the 2018 Farm Bill,” the attorneys general said in the letter. “A proper interpretation of the Farm Bill’s hemp provision demonstrates that the entire synthetic THC industry rests on a foundation of illicit conduct. Clear direction from Congress is needed to shut down this industry before it metastasizes further into an even greater threat to public safety than it already is.”