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by MIKE BURNS
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As a grandparent, I would do anything to protect my grandchildren. As state representative, I also have an obligation to the children and families across the Palmetto State. It is why I strongly stand against intoxicating hemp products and have fought to keep them out of our state.
For years, intoxicating hemp-derived products flooded South Carolina with no age restrictions, no safety testing, and no accountability. Potent intoxicating substances in the form of gummies, vapes, and drinks containing delta-8 THC, a cannabinoid strain derived from hemp, were openly sold alongside popular snacks and sodas, deliberately packaged to appeal to our young people.
Nationally, children and teenagers accounted for more than half of all delta-8 THC exposures reported to poison control centers, with children under 12 making up 41% of those cases. The FDA documented that 82% of unintentional exposures affected pediatric patients. One pediatric case resulted in death. Here in South Carolina, we have seen the negative impact these products have. Teenagers and children as young as two have been sent to the hospital after unknowingly consuming these products.
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Unfortunately we can trace this problem back to a federal loophole created with the 2018 Farm Bill. Originally designed to support American farmers through a new market for hemp fiber and agricultural products, it inadvertently opened a pathway for bad actors to exploit.
The products being sold contain synthetic THC that is being imported from countries like China. There have been reports of Chinese chemical supplies trying to evade customs by mislabeling synthetic THC. Independent testing has found that many of these products don’t just contain synthetic ingredients, but include pesticides, mold, and industrial solvents. On top of that, the amount of THC and its potency is frequently far higher than what is listed on the packaging. If this were any other product, they would immediately be pulled from shelves for safety concerns.
South Carolina’s own law enforcement leadership has been unequivocal. Our attorney general has called for action. State and federal agents have already raided stores selling illegal THC products across our state. The message from those on the front lines is clear: this market has no place in our communities.
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Last November, Congress voted to close the federal loophole, with enforcement set to begin this coming November. Now the industry is lobbying Congress to undo that progress.
While I am in favor of many policies that support American farmers and hemp for agricultural purposes, allowing a dangerous loophole to stay open is not the right approach. States must be able to keep these products out of the hands of children and away from our communities. Bad actors must be held accountable when they target our children for profit, not encouraged to continue peddling these products to young people.
Families in South Carolina and across the country deserve legislation that protects them, not a gray market dressed up like a licensing framework. South Carolina’s Congressional delegation needs to firmly reject this effort and keep the hemp loophole closed.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Mike Burns represents District 17 in the South Carolina House.
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