An effort to regulate intoxicating hemp could have had detrimental effects for thousands of Colorado kids who suffer from epilepsy and other debilitating conditions.
But the bipartisan group of lawmakers who sponsored Senate Bill 271 found a way to address those concerns and still put a stop to a product that many claim is dangerous, especially to kids.
Senate Bill 271 is the outgrowth of 2022 legislation that set up a task force to look at intoxicating hemp products and make legislative and rule recommendations.
The difference between hemp and marijuana, which come from the same plant, is in the Delta-THC level. In order to be classified as hemp under federal law, the plant cannot have more than 0.3% delta-9 THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient.
The underlying presumption is that some in the hemp industry have found a work-around in Delta-8 THC, which is made by concentrating hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) from the hemp plant. It’s not quite as intoxicating as delta-9 THC, with estimates pegging it at anywhere between 50% to 75% of the potency.
Under Senate Bill 271 any hemp product with more than 1.75 mg of Delta-8 THC per serving would be regulated, meaning it will require a legal ID to purchase and would be sold at a dispensary rather than online or at a convenience store.
But the folks at Charlotte’s Web got nervous.
The company was started in 2013 by Jared and Joel Stanley, along with other family members, on a farm near Boulder. Initially, they were working…
