Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison argued that his goal was to protect the state’s hemp THC industry when he spearheaded a letter on Oct. 24 asking Congress to criminalize products containing synthetic hemp derivatives.
The letter, signed by 39 state and territorial attorneys general, asked U.S. congressional leaders to clarify the federal definition of hemp in a manner that would close a “loophole” in the 2018 Farm Bill that has allowed intoxicating hemp-derived THC products to inundate communities nationwide.
The letter did not provide a recommendation for what the new federal definition should entail, but rather, the signers asked federal lawmakers to use the appropriations process or farm bill reauthorization as a vehicle to ban products containing “intoxicating levels of THC – of any kind and no matter how it is derived.”
Five days later, on Oct. 29, Ellison said that the letter created some confusion, and he wanted to clarify why he helped orchestrate it.
“First, I am and will remain a supporter of Minnesota’s THC edible industry that follows state law, supports businesses, farmers, and entrepreneurs across Minnesota, and creates products that people enjoy,” Ellison wrote in a Substack post. “One of the primary reasons I signed onto the letter is to ensure this industry continues to thrive.”
Ellison pointed to Minnesota’s law governing edibles and beverages containing THC derived from hemp, which took effect in July 2022, before the state legalized adult-use cannabis. Under the hemp law, Minnesotans 21 and older can purchase cannabinoid products containing no more than 5 milligrams of THC per serving and 50 milligrams per package.
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