Oregon Legislature Approves Bill to Regulate Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids

The Oregon legislature has passed a bill that seeks to more tightly regulate both Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC, according to a KDRV report.  Beyond defining adult-use cannabis, artificial cannabinoids, and Delta-9, the measure more closely regulates total THC in hemp.

The legislation allows the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) and Department of Agriculture (ODA) to set total THC limits for hemp products, set up a hemp processing licensing system, and directs the ODA to submit its hemp processing plan to the Federal Department of Agriculture—a plan they withdrew last year. Additionally, the bill provides resources to law enforcement to combat illegal cannabis grows, which are booming in Jackson County, according to the report.

Prime sponsor of the legislation, Republican Rep. Lily Morgan, told KDRV that in her community the proposal “is more than a lifeline.”

“For us, it is an opportunity for us to regain control of our community, freeing citizens of fear of safety.”—Morgan to KDRV.

Morgan says the bill was created with input from legal cannabis growers and law enforcement, and that it will protect minors from consuming hemp products that contain THC. The bill now awaits Democratic Gov. Kate Brown’s signature.

Oregon is just the latest state to ban the sale of Delta-8, a minor cannabinoid that is synthesized from CBD. Due to gray areas in the law Delta-8 is being sold outside regulated cannabis systems around the country, concerning law enforcement, regulators, and the legal cannabis industry.