Regulations announced this week by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) criminalize the possession and manufacture of any edible hemp seed or oil products – including snack bars, veggie burgers and salad oils – that test positive for trace levels of THC. Under the new law, which takes effect immediately, “No person may manufacture or distribute any such product for human consumption within the United States.” Any person or proprietor who possesses these products will have 120 days to dispose of them or face criminal prosecution.
“The DEA’s planned new rules will cause substantial harm to hemp businesses and consumers alike and are not based on any real threat or abuse potential,” asserted Eric Steenstra, National Coordinator of VoteHemp Inc., who said that the hemp industry will pursue legal action contesting the ban. “Hemp seeds and oil have absolutely no psychoactive effect and are about as likely to be abused as [are] poppy seed bagels for their trace opiate content, or fruit juices because of their trace alcohol content.”
Hemp-based health and food products are sold commercially throughout the world and have been touted for their high concentrations of amino and fatty acids. Though some of these products occasionally contain trace amounts of residual THC depending on how thoroughly the manufacturer has cleaned the seed’s outer hull, they do not present a health or safety hazard to consumers. Several nations, including Canada, allow ingestible hemp products as long as they test below ten micrograms per gram. In addition, many companies and their suppliers already adhere to industry wide standards guaranteeing their products will not test positive on a work-place drug test, Steenstra said.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of The NORML Foundation, at (202) 483-8751 or visit the VoteHemp website at: http://www.votehemp.com.
