The Illinois Delta-8 regulation bill remains in the House of Representatives

An Illinois bill legalizing hemp-derived cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC has stalled in the House of Representatives after lawmakers left the state capitol without passing legislation banning the sale of these popular products.

The measure was supported by many in Illinois’ regulated marijuana industry, who say unregulated cannabis products give minors unrestricted access to drugs and pose a risk to consumers. But cannabis advocates maintain the bill would destroy the fledgling industry and the small businesses it supports.

Jennifer Weiss, owner of Chicago-based Cubbington’s Wardrobe, a manufacturer and retailer of CBD-infused products for personal and home use, said the bill threatens the company’s profitability.

“The bill is so restrictive it would ban almost everything in my store,” Weiss said, according to a local news report.

Over the weekend, the Illinois Senate voted 54-1 to approve a bill that would restrict the sale of THC-containing cannabis products to licensed marijuana dispensaries. Democratic Sen. Kimberly Lightford, the bill’s founder, said it is a bipartisan effort to control the unregulated sale of delta-8 THC and other intoxicating hemp cannabinoids. But on Wednesday, House members adjourned until the summer without taking up Lightford’s bill.

“After months of negotiations, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation agreed to by all parties, further ensuring our shared goal of a fair, equitable and safe industry,” Lightford said in a statement. Chicago Sun-Times reported. “Our proposed bill demonstrated the urgent need to regulate the cannabis industry before we lose another young life to these ubiquitous products. It is a pity that the House could not meet this urgent need.”

A competing bill has also stalled

Democratic state Rep. Shawn Ford agrees that the sale of delta-8 and other intoxicating cannabinoids needs to be regulated, but says the bill passed by the Senate is not the right solution. Ford sponsored a competing bill favored by the cannabis industry, but the House failed to make progress on the legislation.

“We don’t want pop-up tobacco shops opening on every corner,” said Democratic state Rep. La Shawn Ford. “We need to make sure we have certain licenses and limit the number of licenses so that we don’t turn Chicago into ‘Delta and Marijuana City.’

Ford’s bill would allow existing cannabis companies to continue operating by obtaining a $500 license and completing required product testing. The bill would also impose a 10% tax on hemp businesses and restrict the sale of hemp products to adults 21 and older.

“It’s not like we can get rid of it. You can’t ban something that’s grown like that,” Ford said. “Let’s not try to create an industry that directly competes with cannabis. Put this industry in its own lane, just like beer is in its own lane and rum and spirits are in their own lane.

Tiffany Chappell Ingram, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, which supported Lightford’s bill, said the group’s members “are disappointed that the House has not passed necessary reforms to our state’s cannabis laws and will continue to allow disgusting cannabis products synthetic sales to children and adults without supervision.”

“Despite overwhelming bipartisan support for these measures in the Senate, there is clearly more work to be done to educate lawmakers on these important issues,” Chappell said in a statement.

Adam Terry, CEO of cannabis-infused beverage maker Cantrip, encouraged lawmakers to continue working on developing a plan to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoids.

“The Illinois Legislature is trying to do what we all want – find a way to regulate the market for consumer cannabis products,” Terry wrote in an email to High times. “But the session failed to find a practical solution.”

“All bona fide cannabis operators have an interest in positive regulation that sets clear and enforceable guidelines,” he continued. “Any cannabis operator who simply demands to exist in a perpetually unregulated state of affairs is not taking the long-term health of the business or public safety seriously.”