The Hemp Industries Association says it will push for delta-8 THC and other THC isomers derived from hemp to be regulated but not banned.
HIA’s position out Wednesday puts it alone among major hemp advocacy organizations. Other prominent hemp advocacy groups have either taken no position on the intoxicating compound or called it a threat to broader adoption of hemp products.
“Prohibition is a failed concept,” HIA said in its policy statement. “It only exacerbates the threat to consumers created by unregulated markets, and is antithetical to the spirit of free enterprise.”
Delta-8 THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids are rare in the hemp plant but can be made easily from hemp extracts like CBD. Legal confusion and CBD oversupply have led to a proliferation of hemp-derived THC isomers outside regulated marijuana sales channels.
HIA says that THC poses no public health threat, unlike tobacco and alcohol, and that the growing list of states banning hemp-derived THC isomers should instead pursue a “regulatory framework for their production that prioritizes consumer safety while being grounded in science.”
HIA vice president Rick Trojan recently discussed the isomers and why they shouldn’t scare regulators with Hemp Industry Daily:
