(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi is joining together with several other states to urge Congress to address the “reckless policy” that has led to the “proliferation of intoxicating hemp products across the nation”.

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 re-introduced industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity, but the states say the law has “unleashed on our states a flood of products that are nothing less than a more potent form of cannabis” with “staggering levels of potency, no regulation, no oversight, and a limited capability for our offices to rein them in.”

From a news release shared by the Office of the Hawaiʻi Attorney General:

Attorney General Anne Lopez is joining a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general on a bipartisan letter asking Congress to fix language in the 2018 Farm Bill that bad actors have used to flood the market with unregulated, intoxicating hemp.

The current law defining hemp has resulted in exploitation. Applied to foods, the 0.3% THC limit which distinguishes industrial hemp from cannabis, is inadequate to distinguish the potential for intoxication. Many states now face the possible poisoning of residents from poorly manufactured products, or products with misleading labels, as well as consumption by individuals who are under the age of 21.

As hemp-based, THC-infused products increase in popularity, particularly edibles, illicit suppliers have begun co-opting legitimate brand names and packaging to sell candy, snacks, and cereals that are intoxicating and confusing to consumers. These copycat hemp products place children at exceptional risk.

“Hemp-derived cannabinoid products, such as those containing delta-8 THC, can be intoxicating and pose a danger to public health if not adequately regulated. While Hawai‘i state law currently prohibits dangerous hemp products, the proliferation of the national market makes local enforcement difficult and undercuts any safeguards placed on a legal cannabis market,” said Deputy Attorney General Andrew Goff of the department’s Health Division. “Congress must act to clarify its intention to restrict the national hemp-derived intoxicant market while allowing hemp for industrial purposes,” (Deputy Attorney General Andrew Goff serves as the attorney for the Hawai‘i Medical Cannabis Program and advises the department of health on hemp-derived products.)

In addition to Attorney General Lopez, the attorneys general of the following states also signed on to the letter: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.