Republican lawmakers are considering two bills that could alter marijuana access in Wisconsin. One proposes to change the definition of "hemp" in turn closing the loophole created by the 2018 Farm bill that allows the sale of delta-9 THC products. The other bill proposes the legalization of maarijuana for medical purposes.
Co-author of the bill ending the THC loophole, Rep. Lindee Brill, R-Sheboygan Falls, said THC products are a "threat" to public health as hemp can cause long-term damages to the brain. She also said there is a rise in THC "poisonings" in children.
"There has been a sharp rise in delta-8 THC poisonings in young children, many of which have led to hospitalization," Brill said. "Emergency room visits and poison control calls linked to delta-8 THC and other similar substances have increased significantly. Both the CDC and FDA have issued warnings about the dangers of these products, which remain legal and dangerously unregulated."
The number of children who have accidentally consumed THC-infused gummies has risen in recent years, with The Journal of Pediatrics finding that 3,054 children accidentally consumed products in 2023, a major increase from about 200 children in 2017.
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