New Jersey Begins Enforcing Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products

New Jersey cannabis regulators on Friday started to enforce state rules restricting the sale of intoxicating hemp products, the New Jersey Monitor reports.

The new rules, signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in September, banned the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the state by giving the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) licensing power over hemp-derived cannabinoid sales. The agency was charged with awarding licenses for the sale of such hemp products but officials were given 180 days to draft the rules, and it’s only been about a month. In the meantime, under the new rules, anyone caught selling the products without a license faces a $100 fine for the first offense, $1,000 for the second offense, and at least $10,000 for the third or subsequent offense, the report said.

Retailers were given 30 days to comply with the new law. A legal challenge brought by hemp companies last month temporarily delayed implementation but CRC officials said last week they would begin enforcing the ban on Friday. 

The agency is likely “testing the waters” for a wider crackdown on all hemp products by targeting just synthetic cannabinoids like delta-10 THC at first, attorney Beau Huch said in the report.

“They’re sending a message, which will obviously have an intended chilling effect on bad actors. It also says they’re still paying attention.” — Huch, via the New Jersey Monitor

Proponents of New Jersey’s hemp product restrictions said the changes would protect children from being exposed to potentially unsafe intoxicants. It was reported earlier this year that hemp-derived THC seltzers accounted for 10-15% of total liquor store sales in the state.