Legislation aimed at reopening the U.S. government could significantly impact Mississippi’s cannabis industry by instituting a nationwide ban on most hemp-derived THC products. This proposed ban includes Delta-8 and low-dose THC seltzers, key products for many Mississippi growers since the 2018 Farm Bill. The appropriations bill, recently signed by President Donald Trump, seeks to close a loophole that permitted the legal sale of intoxicating THC products, even in gas stations.
Personal Stakes in the Cannabis Debate
Robert Walker, a cultivator for Barney O’ Bud, expressed personal concerns regarding the implications of unregulated products. “I recently lost a friend that had smoked something from a gas station and passed away after hitting it,” Walker stated. He noted that products available at gas stations often contain untested chemicals, underscoring the need for tighter regulations in the marketplace. “For the patient, you want a clean product form, something that’s healthy for him. The products coming through gas stations are not regulated,” he added.
Legal Implications of the New Legislation
The proposed legislation would declare any product labeled as an “intoxicating hemp product,” or any cannabinoid created outside the plant, illegal nationwide. This poses a significant threat to Mississippi’s budding hemp industry.
Industry Concerns on Safety and Regulation
Jesse Dillon, director of operations at Dabbs Cannabis, a Mississippi cannabis brand, shared insights on the challenges posed by such regulations. “As far as medicine, it’s hard to re-create. If you get good effects from different products, it’s hard to find those again in the store,” Dillon explained. He emphasized that the primary concern is not profits, but consumer protection. “Being unregulated, you don’t 100 percent know what’s in it. A lot of it could have contaminants and carcinogens that couldn’t have been handled cleanly,” Dillon remarked.
While Dillon advocates for the free market, he also calls for regulatory measures to ensure consumer safety. “I believe in a free market, but we should regulate anything we consume,” he asserted. He cautioned that banning legitimate businesses would not eliminate demand but merely shift it to unregulated sellers. “There’s a lot of danger when anything is unregulated in the over-the-counter availability at gas stations,” Dillon warned.