US (IL): Growers question who hemp ban is trying to protect

Last week the Chicago City Council Committee on License and Consumer Protection passed a measure to completely ban hemp sales in the City with the rationale that they want to protect children. Everyone wants to protect children.

"The hemp industry has been urging City Council to pass an age gating, 21 and up, ordinance for several years that would protect children. Sadly, the proposed legislation making the rounds of City Hall seems far more focused on protecting the Big Cannabis industry, the liquor distributors and the restaurant lobby," said the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association in a statement.

"The narrative that the safety of children is at the heart of the proposed hemp ban does not hold up to the facts. Since 2009 (a period of 16 years) 4 child deaths NATIONWIDE have cited THC as a possible contributing factor. By comparison, in 2020 alone there were 229 child deaths from drunk driving nationally in 1 year. In 2022 alone there were 98 deaths from household cleaning products nationally in 1 year. And, in 2022 alone there were 56 deaths from Alcohol intoxication nationally in 1 year," the statement continued.

"We all recognize the importance of implementing responsible regulations to prevent these products from reaching minors," stated Craig Katz, President of the Board for the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association. "Our members are actively collaborating at both the state and federal levels to create a regulatory framework that safeguards minors and ensures product safety. We can achieve these objectives while still enabling our members to offer their customers the healthy alternatives they require. We are eager to partner with the City Council to find effective solutions."

"The quick analysis is that once again this action only benefits big business and picks winners and losers. Those with the most money win. Small business loses, and so do consumers. Because beverages would now have to go through distributors, prices will also go up. And, it disingenuously says it's ok for beverages to have THC and be sold outside of dispensaries, but not anything else. What's the difference between a 5 mg beverage and a 5 mg gummy? Same amount of THC and yet one is allowed in liquor stores and the other only in dispensaries, said Katz. "They're making the rules up as they go along."