Legalizing Natural Marijuana Is The Pathway To Protect Public Health, Not Pretending Synthetic THC Products Are Hemp
In a recent op-ed by the Reason Foundation titled “Banning Hemp Products Isn’t The Way to Protect Public Health,” the author correctly makes the case that bans are often ineffective and can push consumers toward more dangerous, unregulated markets. However, the Reason Foundation overlooks a crucial distinction in this case: that most “hemp products” referred to in the piece are in fact synthetic THC products, and they are sold as substitutes for natural—but federally illegal—marijuana.
The change in federal law has led to an explosion of unregulated intoxicating products in the marketplace that masquerade as “hemp” products.
Synthetically converted THC such as delta-8, HHC, THC-O, THC-P etc. are lab-created and do not exist naturally in large enough quantities for mass production. Yet, these molecules are being commercialized at scale in labs and sold outside the purview of regulation as “hemp.”
The “Hemp Product” Misnomer
Referring to synthetic THC as a “hemp product” misleads consumers.
Unlike natural cannabinoids from marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids are manufactured through chemical processes that convert CBD molecules into a potpourri of chemicals, including several analogs of THC and a host of synthetic byproducts, many of which have never been tested, studied, or consumed until recently.
Example of unregulated hemp flower with synthetic cannabinoids: Delta-8, HHC, THC-O, THC-P
This distinction matters because calling these products “hemp products” misleads consumers and policymakers into believing they are natural, safe and similar to marijuana products—not something closer to, say, an unregulated designer drug.
Regulation that prioritizes public health and safety over pure profit is indeed the answer, but we should be honest about what delta-8, HHC, THC-O, THC-P and others are: synthetics that should be treated and regulated as such. They shouldn’t be marketed as harmless, healthy or lighter versions of cannabis.
For the Reason Foundation to suggest these products should be regulated like marijuana—but less strictly because marijuana laws are too strict—misses the mark because these products are largely unregulated, and fails to provide a solution to address the situation.
Lack of Data and Safety Concerns
As researchers have repeatedly pointed out, not enough is known about how to make synthetic THC drugs from CBD safely. There are no health and safety standards that exist for these processes. Nonetheless, these products are often equated to marijuana, sometimes even marketed as “marijuana lite,” “good as a dispensary” or “no medical card needed,” while unscrupulously trading off the name of actual marijuana products.