Nearly 40 attorneys general ask feds to close gas station weed loophole
A bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general is urging Congress to close what they call a dangerous hemp loophole allowing intoxicating THC products to be sold nationwide – often in gas stations and…
A bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general is urging Congress to close what they call a dangerous hemp loophole allowing intoxicating THC products to be sold nationwide – often in gas stations and convenience stores – with little oversight.
The coalition sent a letter Oct. 24 to top congressional leaders asking them to “clarify the federal definition of hemp” to make clear synthetic THC products are illegal and their sale is a criminal act.
Officials say bad actors have twisted the 2018 Farm Bill to sell psychoactive drugs disguised as hemp, turning an agricultural measure into a gateway for dangerous synthetic cannabis.
“Intoxicating hemp-derived THC products have inundated communities throughout our states,” the letter says.
The attorneys general said these substances, made by chemically manipulating hemp oil, are often “more intoxicating and psychoactive than marijuana” and marketed toward minors.
The 2018 law legalized hemp with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC – the main chemical causing a high. However, it did not anticipate new variants such as delta-8, delta-10 and THCP. These are created through complex chemical processes transforming hemp into powerful intoxicants.
The letter calls them “Frankenstein THC products that get adults high and harm and even kill children.”
The letter cites alarming data from Indiana showing a 41% increase in cannabinoid poisonings between 2022 and 2024. Cases among children under age 5 rose 46%, and incidents involving delta-8 and delta-10 surged 2,482% during that time.
While several states have tried banning synthetic hemp THC products, the attorneys general say it has created a “patchwork” of weak enforcement that can’t stop mail-order shipments crossing state lines.
They are asking Congress to intervene so the Farm Bill’s intent – to promote nonintoxicating industrial hemp – is preserved while the abuse of hemp-derived intoxicants is stopped.
“The prohibition on products containing intoxicating levels of THC … will not inhibit the cultivation of hemp for industrial and agricultural uses,” the letter says.
The signers include officials from both parties and across the country – from Alabama and Arkansas to California and Colorado. Ideologically, they range from liberal Democrats, including Letitia James of New York, to strong conservatives such as Kris Kobach of Kansas.
