Food & Agriculture

CFA Urges Congress to Close Synthetic Cannabis Loophole

CFA sent the following letter to Congress today in response to a request from lawmakers for information on impacts related to the 2018 Farm Bill’s legalization of hemp and certain hemp-derived products. Unlike marijuana, the hemp legalized by the 2018 legislation is a form of cannabis that does not contain significant amounts of the psychoactive substance THC. However, manufacturers have taken to manipulating hemp-derived chemicals, such as cannabidiol or CBD, to create psychoactive substances like “delta-8 THC” and “THC-O” that they sell in gummies, vape pens, or spray on to hemp flower buds that resemble conventional marijuana. These products raise the same health concerns as conventional marijuana, in addition to hazards related to largely unregulated, haphazard manufacturing processes that can result in heavy metal and other adulterant contamination. CFA’s comments urge Congress to close the Farm Bill loophole and enact a ban on all derived psychoactive cannabis products.