Abstract

In 2020 the United States food market began to flood with highly intoxicating food products that contained hemp derived extracts. These products contained certain synthetic cannabinoids made in a lab that can cause significant harm to an individual. These hemp products included candy and snack food items that were marketed and attractive to children by mimicking popular brands such as Doritos chips, Oreo cookies, and Skittles candies. These products made unsuspecting adults and children ill due to high amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), unknown ingredients and the unpredictability of synthetic cannabinoids. Many individuals face risk of overdoes or significant long term effects to the body due to the chemicals contained in the products. Calls to poison control centers increased by 30% and children admitted to emergency rooms increased. Many of the symptoms caused by these products includes seizures, racing heart rate, feeling faint, unresponsiveness, and altered mental status. Virginia’s hemp laws changed to address the growing exposure to cannabis containing products that were highly intoxicating and unregulated.

Requirements included limiting the amount of THC per packaged food product to 2 mg and making it illegal for a product to contain a synthetic cannabinoid. The Virginia Department of Agriculture’s Office of Hemp Enforcement has reformed the industry through development of laws, regulation and policy to reduce the amount of highly intoxicating hemp products on the market.