Loophole in federal policy makes cannabis available commercially

USA: The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 allowed the growth and sale of hemp to be made legal. This has allowed the commercial availability of hemp-based products.

Hemp is a form of plant-based Cannabis Sativa, which contains low concentrations of psychotropic elements, such as CBD and THC, which were believed to be in amounts too low to cause side effects.

Across the US, cannabis is sold as vape cartridges, concentrates, and tinctures. To attract consumers, cannabis is also present in the market as gummies, chocolates as well as being medically available in pharmacies.

The clinical and public health concerns of cannabis are worrisome, since hemp contains levels of cannabis high enough to produce psychotropic effects, the adverse reactions of its common availability can be drastic and unrepairable.

The sale of psychotropic, hemp-derived cannabis products remains legal in 29 states and in Washington, DC, and online sales may render state regulations ineffective. Notably, 23 of the 29 states in which products are permitted have not legalised recreational cannabis, suggesting the availability of hemp-derived cannabis products is more common in places where legal cannabis is unavailable.

The federal policymakers and the government of the US should revise these regulations surrounding cannabis in order to ensure that the youth are not compromising their health at the hands of psychotropic substances.