“We’re treating cannabis-infused drinks precisely like we’re treating alcohol.”
By Liam Niemeyer, Kentucky Lantern
The Kentucky Senate superior a invoice Friday that might regulate intoxicating hemp-derived drinks however with out banning their gross sales as first proposed.
The invoice’s sponsor, Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, amended Senate Invoice 202 after Republicans and Democrats alike expressed skepticism concerning the ban when the measure was authorized by a committee earlier this week.
Adams’s ground modification eliminated the non permanent gross sales ban and would as an alternative impose a cap of 5 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, on cannabis-derived drinks. The invoice provides regulation of the intoxicating drinks to state legal guidelines that regulate alcoholic drinks, giving the Kentucky Division of Alcoholic Beverage Management the authority to supervise their distribution and sale.
Raque Adams mentioned her ground modification offered a “actually strong place to begin to place guardrails round this product so it doesn’t get within the fingers of our kids, guardrails for public well being and guardrails for security whereas sustaining the small enterprise pursuits that we have now seen throughout the commonwealth.”
“We’re treating cannabis-infused drinks precisely like we’re treating alcohol,” Adams mentioned.
As canned hemp-derived drinks containing THC have been gaining recognition throughout the nation and popping up in comfort shops, state governments have more and more sought to manage them.
SB 202 handed the Senate by a vote of 29-6 with the minority of Democrats opposing the laws, arguing that, whereas they agreed with regulating the drinks, the laws was rushed and that senators and the general public weren’t given sufficient time to know the modifications.
Sen. David Yates, D-Louisville, mentioned he frightened about making an attempt to digest massive modifications to the invoice, noting some hemp-derived drinks have mixtures of assorted cannabinoids. Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, questioned the 5 milligram THC restrict as a result of she didn’t understand how the THC within the drinks is absorbed in comparison with gummies or hashish flower.
“I believe once we’re coping with one thing that’s regulating an business that’s at present authorized, we have now to have the ability to hear from that business to guarantee that we’re getting these laws appropriate and that there aren’t any unintended penalties,” mentioned. Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville.
She mentioned Adams’ invoice “could be the proper place for us to land” for regulation however that she didn’t have the knowledge to know for positive.
Raque Adams used a “shell” invoice as a car for addressing hemp-derived drinks after the deadline for submitting payments had handed. The unique SB 202 made minor technical modifications within the legislation earlier than Raque Adams changed its contents along with her invoice.
This story was first revealed by Kentucky Lantern.
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Photograph courtesy of Brendan Cleak.