Virginia’s Restriction of Hemp Synthesized Intoxicants Upheld by Federal Court

Seth Goldberg
Seth A. Goldberg

On October 30, 2023, in Northern Virginia Hemp and Agriculture LLC, et al., v. The Commonwealth of Virginia, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia  refused to enjoin a Virginia statute, SB 903, aimed at curbing the production and distribution of products containing intoxicating chemical compounds derived from federally lawful hemp (“Hemp Synthesized Intoxicants” or “HSIs”).  SB 903 imposes upon hemp products,  including edibles and smokables, industrial hemp extracts, and any other consumable substance, a limit of no greater than .3% total THC concentration and no more than two milligrams of total THC per package or amount of cannabidiol that is no less than 25 times greater than the amount of total THC per package.

This restriction, referred to as a “Total THC Standard,” is intended to prevent the sale to consumers of ingestible, smokable, and otherwise consumable products that contain intoxicants derived from federally lawful hemp that are the functional equivalent of the delta-9 THC in federally unlawful marijuana. Such products have proliferated since the 2018 Farm Bill because chemical processes can be used to convert the chemicals in hemp into intoxicating compounds like delta-8 THC.

The Court in No. VA Hemp determined that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on the merits of their claims because, among other things, the 2018 Farm Bill did not preempt states from regulating hemp products sold in their states.

 

 

AG Consumer Protection Lawsuits Target Delta-8 and Perceived “Loophole” in 2018 Farm Bill

Seth Goldberg
Seth A. Goldberg

The Nebraska Attorney General and the California Attorney General have filed lawsuits recently under their states’ consumer protection statutes targeting the manufacturers of hemp products containing Delta-8 THC, noting the health and safety risk to consumers of these products.  Such products, known as “hemp synthesized intoxicants” or “HSIs” are often just as intoxicating as the Delta-9 THC in state-legal adult-use and medical marijuana, but may not be subject to the same types of licensure, testing, and packaging/labeling requirements imposed under state cannabis programs. 

As I have previously written, the manufacture and distribution of HSIs appears to be the result of a perceived loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill’s legalization of hemp and its “derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers.”  Proponents of HSIs assert that, in defining hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress did not prohibit the chemicals in hemp from being converted into psychoactive compounds.

Opponents of HSIs argue that hemp was legalized as an agricultural commodity, and the 2018 Farm Bill was focused on the production (cultivation) of hemp, not consumer finished products that could be manufactured using its constituents.  They posit that Congress did not intend for the chemicals in hemp to be converted into a host of compounds just as intoxicating as Delta-9 THC. 

State AG consumer protection lawsuits against manufacturers of products containing HSIs are an attempt to curb their proliferation.  Congress may address the perceived loophole that is being exploited to manufacturer HSIs in the forthcoming Farm Bill. 

 

Did Congress Intend to Legalize Intoxicating Hemp Products in the 2018 Farm Bill?

Seth Goldberg
Seth A. Goldberg

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized “Hemp,” defining it as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”  The .3% delta-9 THC threshold  distinguishes hemp from marijuana, which remains a federally unlawful Schedule I controlled substance, based on the psychoactive effect of delta-9 THC.

Today, consumers can walk into convenience stores, gas stations, and the like, or shop online, and purchase an array of cannabis products that have the same psychoactive effects as delta-9 THC in federally unlawful Marijuana, i.e., delta-9 THC at greater than .3% on a dry weight basis, but, because they were manufactured using “derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers” found in Hemp, their manufacturers claim they are legal.   These products, which contain delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, and other chemical compounds, are the result of chemical processes that convert the Hemp “derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers” into compounds that are the functional equivalent of the delta-9 THC in federally unlawful Marijuana.

Manufacturers of delta-8 products believe the 2018 Farm Bill does not prohibit the conversion of the “derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers” in Hemp into an intoxicating compound, which begs the question: did Congress really intend to legalize intoxicating compounds created from Hemp “derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers”  that are functionally equivalent to the delta-9 THC in federally unlawful Marijuana?  It would seem that the .3% delta-9 THC distinction between Hemp and Marijuana is about psychoactive effect, not about a particular chemical.

Ohio Is Poised To Become The Next State to Legalize Cannabis For Adult Use

On November 7, 2023, Ohio voters will decide the fate of Ballot Issue 2, a citizen-initiated proposed law that would commercialize, regulate, legalize and tax cannabis for adult use.  Recent polling data suggests broad support for Issue 2.  A majority vote in favor of Issue 2 would make Ohio the 24th state—and the sixth in the Midwest—to make recreational cannabis legal under state law.

If Issue 2 passes, a new chapter 3780 in the Ohio Revised Code called Adult Use Cannabis Control would take effect December 7, 2023.  However, the cannabis industry expects sales in Ohio of adult use cannabis to commence in the summer of 2024. Continue reading “Ohio Is Poised To Become The Next State to Legalize Cannabis For Adult Use”

How Regulatory Reforms Could Reshape M&A Pulse In Cannabis Industry

Tracy Gallegos, partner and team lead of the Duane Morris Cannabis Industry Group, discussed the cannabis industry’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference on September 27, 2023.

The discussion also touched upon the rescheduling of cannabis, with differing opinions on its likelihood. Ms. Gallegos said she skeptical due to formal rulemaking processes and international treaty considerations.

Read the full article on Benzinga.com

Milestone For SAFE[R] Banking

Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs reported the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (“SAFER”) Banking Act, formerly known as the SAFE Banking Act, out of committee by a vote tally of 14-9.  Although the House of Representatives approved the SAFE Banking Act seven times over the past several years, it never made any traction in the Senate. That changed with yesterday’s vote, marking the first time that any version of the bill was sent to the Senate floor.  The Chairman of the committee, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), expressed his satisfaction with the result, stating that this “bipartisan bill is necessary” to “make it safer for legal cannabis businesses and service providers to operate in their communities and protect their workers.”[1] Continue reading “Milestone For SAFE[R] Banking”

Why the U.S. Virgin Islands Are Fertile Soil for Cannabis Businesses

Paul Josephson, partner and team lead of the Duane Morris Cannabis Industry Group, moderated a fireside chat with U.S. Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr. at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference on September 27, 2023.

“A governor who really gets economic development,” as Josephson said, Bryan said the region is on the cusp of an unprecedented economic surge. “We have a $4-billion economy right now. And we have $15 billion in sales over the next 10 or so years.”

Read more on the Benzinga website.

New York’s Conditional Recreational Cannabis Licensing Process Goes up in Smoke as State Regulators Ask Court to Stay Injunction Order

New York’s much-anticipated adult-use cannabis retail licensing process has recently been stuck in a haze since August 18, 2023, when a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that the state Office of Cannabis Management’s (“OCM”) discretionary licensing procedure violates New York’s Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (“MRTA”).  As Duane Morris previously reported, the judge’s ruling, resulting in an injunction and stoppage of the OCM’s ability to grant additional license applications, is the latest in a number of delays and legal disputes that has New York’s cannabis authorization program far behind schedule.  The case involves a group of military veterans who claim New York’s initial round of issuing conditional licenses only to people with prior marijuana convictions, and not also to a wider group of service-disabled veterans and other social equity applications, violated the MRTA.  As a result of the injunction, the OCM has appealed the decision and seeks either a temporary stay of the injunction or an expedited appeals court briefing schedule. Continue reading “New York’s Conditional Recreational Cannabis Licensing Process Goes up in Smoke as State Regulators Ask Court to Stay Injunction Order”

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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