Friday, July 19, 2024
of The recently published a new study highlighting the prevalence and dangers of hemp-derived, intoxicating cannabis products sold widely at U.S. vape shops and other retailers.
Rossheim鈥檚 research, 鈥淚ntoxicating Cannabis Products in Vape Shops: United States 2023,鈥� published this month in the , is one of the first studies to document that the U.S. is acting as a recreational cannabis country, with intoxicating products being sold in stores across all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
鈥淲ithout a medical cannabis card, you can walk into a store in any state and buy a cannabis product that will get you high,鈥� said Rossheim, an associate professor of health administration and health policy at the .
Since 2020, many types of intoxicating cannabis products have entered the U.S. market, he said. Hemp-derived ICPs, including hexahydrocannabinol 鈥� which can affect mood, pain perception and central nervous system functions 鈥� and the psychoactive substance delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol pose serious concerns about their youth-oriented marketing, potency and health effects. Some states have attempted to ban, restrict or regulate their sale, but these laws have been unsuccessful to date.
The U.S. Farm Bill, or Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, authorized the production of hemp and removed hemp and hemp seeds from the Drug Enforcement Administration鈥檚 schedule of controlled substances.
Regulations on hemp-derived products
Rossheim鈥檚 study shows that in states with limited or no delta-8 THC regulations, 92% of vape shops and other stores sold intoxicating cannabis products. In states with laws designed to limit potency or availability, 90% sold these products.
鈥淚t鈥檚 no surprise that regulations don鈥檛 work because these products are being designed to circumvent regulations,鈥� Rossheim said. 鈥淩etailers are selling these intoxicating cannabis products as if they were hemp-produced T-shirts or shoes.
鈥淭his underscores the urgent need for comprehensive bans prohibiting any detectable levels of derived intoxicating cannabinoids that are well enforced, with product testing and large fines for noncompliance.鈥�.
After adjusting for states where legal nonmedical cannabis is sold, Rossheim and colleagues from George Washington and Emory universities, HSC and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation found a statistically significant reduction of sales in states where intoxicating synthetic products are banned. Vape shops and stores in states without bans had approximately 16 times the odds of selling intoxicating cannabis products, compared with those in states with bans.
Bans work, need strong enforcement
鈥淏ans work, but they need to be comprehensive and enforced,鈥� Rossheim said.
In May, a ban on intoxicating hemp products was proposed as a Farm Bill amendment by the U.S. House of Representatives. Previous legislation has made it easier for U.S. farmers to grow nonintoxicating varieties of cannabis, defined as hemp, for industrial and medical use.
鈥淭hese derived products are a very different issue than naturally grown cannabis products. When pushing for the law, industry proponents said hemp is 鈥榬ope, not dope,鈥� but now they are exploiting the language to sell intoxicating products,鈥� Rossheim said.
Prior to 2020, he explained, most cannabis products on the market contained the naturally abundant delta 9 THC intoxicant.
鈥淪ince then, companies have created synthetic intoxicants, sprayed on hemp leaves, infused in candies and added to other foods and beverages. This is more dangerous than marijuana use,鈥� Rossheim said.
The harms, laws being exploited
鈥淏ecause there are limited studies at this point, we don鈥檛 know a lot about the harms of these chemically created products. Some have been found to contain pesticides, heavy metals and even chemical solvents.鈥�
The U.S. has seen spikes in pediatric poisonings related to exposure of these products, and in 2023, one in nine high school seniors used delta 8 THC, one of the most popular types of derived intoxicating cannabis products, Rossheim said.
鈥淩egulations so far haven鈥檛 worked because of bad actors who are constantly innovating these products to circumvent laws protecting public safety. These companies are exploiting current legislation to sell dangerous products that aren鈥檛 natural and were never intended by lawmakers to be legalized,鈥� he said.
Rossheim and his research team are tracking the proposed federal Farm Bill amendment that would ban these products.
鈥淔urther legislative action also is needed to impose and enforce large fines and conduct product testing to ensure retailers are not selling these products,鈥� Rossheim said.
A call for urgency
鈥淭ime is of the essence,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his study demonstrates that urgent action is needed to address the dangers in these products.鈥�
Dr. Rossheim is traveling to conferences in major cities, including Denver and Chicago, to present these findings and urge action on this pressing public health danger.
From - Research by Sally Crocker