Office of the
Illinois Attorney General
Kwame Raoul
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general, sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to take action to clarify the federal definition of hemp and prevent the continued sale of unregulated, intoxicating THC products.
Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived THC products, which can be as or more potent than marijuana, have flooded the market due to a misinterpretation of the law’s language. These synthetic cannabinoids, including delta-8, delta-10, THC-O and others, are being sold in gas stations, convenience stores and online retailers across the country, frequently in packaging purposefully designed to appeal to children. In some states, poison control centers have reported alarming increases in pediatric exposures to these substances.
“These products are manufactured and sold without consistent age restrictions, labeling standards or safety requirements,” Raoul said. “I join my fellow attorneys general in urging Congress to close this loophole, and protect children and consumers from these potentially dangerous, largely-unregulated products.”
In their letter, Raoul and the coalition of attorneys general urge the leaders of the Senate Committee on Appropriations; the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the House Committee on Appropriations; and the House Committee on Agriculture to clarify the federal definition of hemp during the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process or through the reauthorization of the Farm Bill.
Attorney General Raoul was joined in sending the letter by the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming.
