The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) has released a draft proposal that would further regulate “psychotropic” and “impairing” cannabinoids in the state, according to the Cannabis Observer. In a discussion/listening session on Monday, the WSLCB Director of Policy and External Affairs Justin Nordhorn said the Board had been looking into the emergence of “psychotropic compounds” like Delta-8 THC outside the I-502 regulated system throughout 2021 after public outcry from licensees, others in the industry and prevention experts.
The director said WSLCB has taken a three-prong approach to the issue: drafting policy statements, opening a rule-making project on THC regulation, and now issuing draft legislation to address the concerns. He clarified during the Monday meeting the draft was not “necessarily a final product moving forward,” and staff would be “deliberative and diligent” in crafting language for the upcoming legislative session.
As for the need for the new regulations, Nordhorn said some common themes have emerged throughout 2021, including an almost across-the-board recognition Delta-8 should be regulated more closely than it is now. He cited a report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which showed Poison Control received 660 calls concerning Delta-8 between January and July of this year and 39% of those reports were for kids under 18-years-old. The FDA said the events include hospitalizations and complaints from consumers and law enforcement.
Nordhorn admitted the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington State Board of Health have not received any reports of Delta-8 mishaps, neither has the Washington State Poison Control Center, although the agency did add a code for Delta-8 in March, the Observer reports.
During the meeting, the director clarified the proposal did not affect other cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, or CBN. He went on to assure attendees the draft would only “bring in (into WSLCB control) the psychotropic and impairing cannabinoids” like Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC.
The new scheme would allow for limited production of synthetic cannabinoids by licensed WA processors, but insist they be created from “natural sources.” Additionally, the draft proposal clarifies the difference between natural, synthetic, and artificial cannabinoids. Artificial cannabinoids would be banned under the current proposal, the report says.
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