Senate Majority Leader McConnell advocates for safeguarding children's health and endorses industrial hemp in a Senate floor speech.
In the United States, concerns over the safety of hemp-derived THC products, particularly their impact on children's health, have led to a flurry of federal and state actions.
Emergency room visits related to cannabis have been on the rise, with a significant increase in cannabis-related poisonings among children under the age of 18 in Kentucky. Between 2023 and 2024, these poisonings rose by 43%.
This alarming trend has prompted U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell to deliver remarks on the Senate floor, focusing on protecting children's health, supporting industrial hemp, and CBD. However, his efforts to include language in a bill that would keep hemp-derived THC products legal faced opposition.
Some companies have been exploiting a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill by turning legal amounts of THC from hemp into intoxicating substances. These companies are using synthetic chemicals as ingredients in snack and candy-like products, making them easily accessible and more potent than marijuana. These products are packaged to resemble well-known candy brands like Oreos, Doritos, or Skittles, making them appealing to children.
In response to these concerns, a Republican-led House Appropriations subcommittee advanced a spending bill provision to ban all hemp-derived products containing any level of THC—including delta-8 and delta-9—effectively outlawing such products nationwide, even those compliant with the 2018 Farm Bill’s 0.3% delta-9 THC limit.
The Senate initially approved a bill with these provisions but deferred implementation for one year. However, the House is continuing efforts to pass such restrictions, and both chambers are negotiating to reconcile their versions, reflecting bipartisan concern over public health and consumer safety surrounding hemp-derived intoxicants.
The legislation authorizes the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to determine what constitutes “quantifiable amounts” of THC or similar cannabinoids, focusing on banning synthetic compounds and intoxicating levels of cannabinoids in consumables. Meanwhile, industrial hemp used for fiber and grain remains exempt as long as total THC levels do not exceed 0.3% on a dry-weight basis.
Some states, like Louisiana, have already implemented emergency rules with detailed requirements on product registration, serving sizes, potency, and child-resistant packaging. These rules include lowering THC potency limits per serving in consumables to 5 mg and mandates for child-resistant packaging and tamper-evident containers.
Mitch McConnell, who has served on the Agriculture Committee in the Senate and worked on programs like the tobacco buyout program and tax relief for the sale of farmland, allowed for his language to be stripped from the bill to move the package forward. His language would have kept industrial hemp and CBD legal while addressing the issue of intoxicating hemp-derived products.
Despite this, McConnell remains committed to the growth of the hemp industry. He wants the number of hemp-farmed acres to grow exponentially, and he has supported farmers in Kentucky throughout his career as a Senator.
In summary, the federal government is moving toward stricter regulations on hemp-derived THC to prevent child exposure and poisoning by banning intoxicating products, setting THC potency limits, and enforcing packaging safeguards. Some states are already implementing emergency rules with detailed requirements on product registration, serving sizes, potency, and child-resistant packaging. The legislative process remains ongoing, with continued debate and negotiation between the House and Senate as of mid-2025.
- The government, particularly Senator Mitch McConnell, is concerned about the impact of hemp-derived THC products on children's health in states like Kentucky.
- The U.S. health sector is witnessing a rise in emergency room visits due to cannabis-related poisonings among children, with a significant increase in these cases from 2023 to 2024.
- Agencies of the government are considering new regulations to ensure the safety of consumers, focusing on mental health, nutrition, and therapies and treatments related to hemp and CBD products.
- The culture of the industry, specifically the production of hemp-derived THC in snack and candy-like products, is under scrutiny for its potential negative effects on children's health and wellness.
- The finance sector is closely monitoring the progress of these regulations as they could have a significant impact on various aspects of the hemp and CBD industry.
- The government's move towards stricter regulations includes efforts to ban synthetic compounds and intoxicating levels of cannabinoids in consumables, while maintaining the legality of industrial hemp used for fiber and grain production.
