NORFOLK, Va. - The debate over the sale of Delta-8 THC products is continuing in Virginia with the Youngkin Administration proposing additional regulations.
In the proposed budget, the governor has advised adding $2 million to create 15 jobs to register and inspect facilities selling hemp products. The budget item is expected to follow legislation proposed during the upcoming General Assembly session.
Delta-8 THC is a hemp derived product that gives users an intoxicating high, but not one has pronounced as regular marijuana. It's federally legal if there are just low amounts of THC, but the Youngkin Adminisration has been interpreting a state law to say Delta 8 edibles can't be sold.
That's led some stores, including Bountifuel Utopia in Norfolk, to remove products from their shelves, costing them about $7,500. "That's a lot of money," said Dustin Weekley, one of the co-owners.
Weekley says over the summer, representatives from the Virginia Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services told them they couldn't sell the products.
"I do think you should be able to go to any CBD shop and buy it," said Weekley.
Amid the back and forth, the Virginia General Assembly created a task force to make recommendations about hemp products. The task force has recommended increased regulations, including requiring businesses to get permits to sell the products.
"Edible and inhaled hemp products that are consumed much like marijuana pose a risk to Virginians, most notably to children, when offered for sale without restriction," said Parker Slaybaugh, the task force chair.
As lawmakers get set to head back to Richmond next month, the governor outlined his budget priorities on Dec. 15. A spokesperson for the governor says the budget item is following the task force's recommendations.
Jason Amatucci, the president of the Virginia Hemp Coalition, agrees the products need to be regulated, but says it needs to be done in a fair way.
"We just want the same treatments that other industries have and for some reason, cannabis gets a double standard," said Amatucci.
Hemp advocates, including Amatucci, will be lobbying lawmakers on Jan. 18. "We have a lot of common ground here with the administration on the actual end game. We disagree with throwing the wide net over the entire industry," he said.
