SUPPORT AB 8 / Intoxicating Hemp

CHALLENGE: Despite Governor Newsom's emergency regulations in October 2024, dangerous synthetic cannabinoids masquerading as "hemp" continue flooding California's market, with research showing 95% of tested products containing prohibited synthetics similar to dangerous street drugs, extreme potency levels up to 32 times higher than legal cannabis limits, and nearly half containing THCP (a synthetic compound 30 times more potent than natural THC). These unregulated intoxicants are marketed with kid-friendly packaging, evade cannabis taxes, and ship across state lines without age verification, creating serious public health risks while undermining California's legal cannabis businesses.

SOLUTION: Assembly Bill 8 (Aguiar-Curry), co-sponsored by CaCOA and UFCW, provides comprehensive reforms to protect consumers and support California's legal cannabis industry by permanently banning intoxicating hemp products outside the regulated market, enhancing enforcement capabilities, requiring out-of-state manufacturers to register with California authorities, and creating pathways for legitimate businesses to work with industrial hemp within the regulated framework.

WHAT THE BILL WILL DO

Make permanent the ban on intoxicating hemp products outside California's regulated cannabis market
Prohibit dangerous synthetic cannabinoids in both hemp and cannabis products
Enhance enforcement capabilities against illegal hemp operations and online retailers
Require out-of-state hemp manufacturers to register with the State Department of Public Health
Create clear regulatory pathways for cannabis licensees to work with industrial hemp within the existing framework
Close loopholes that allow untested, potentially harmful products to reach consumers
Ensure all THC products are regulated as cannabis, as voters intended when passing Proposition 64