More than five years after Illinois began issuing permits for legal production of industrial hemp, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday he now favors legislation to bring the industry under tighter regulation.
At a news conference in Chicago, Pritzker said in the short time since both the state and federal governments legalized hemp production, a new industry has emerged in which chemicals are extracted from hemp plants to produce intoxicating and potentially dangerous products that are currently unregulated.
"Commonly known as intoxicating hemp, this industry is selling hemp-derived products such as delta-8, and they're using deceptive advertising tactics to market them directly to minors," Pritzker said. "These products have an intoxicating effect, often to dangerous levels. They're untested and unregulated and are widely available and accessible to young people."
Illinois lawmakers passed legislation in 2018 to allow the commercial production of hemp, the same year Congress legalized hemp nationwide through the 2018 Farm Bill. The crop was once commonly used in the United States to make rope, textiles and other products, but it was effectively banned decades ago because of its close botanical relationship with marijuana.
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