Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson clashes with Gov. JB Pritzker over Delta 8 regulation
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is urging Gov. JB Pritzker and state lawmakers to pause legislation regulating hemp-derived Delta 8 cannabis as Democrats debated the bill for hours on Monday.
This comes after a FOX 32 special report last summer highlighted the health risks associated with the currently unregulated product.
In July, Paris Schutz introduced Laurie, a LaSalle County mother whose young daughter was diagnosed with drug-induced psychosis after consuming Delta 8 purchased at a gas station.
"I feel like the companies selling this don't realize what they're selling and what it's doing to people," said Laurie.
Laurie's story caught the attention of Pritzker and is one of the reasons he is pushing lawmakers to put heavy new regulations on hemp-derived products.
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Unregulated Delta-8 weed poses health risk: 'It turned our lives upside down'
Buying Delta-8 weed at a gas station or head shop is akin to buying drugs off the street—consumers have no way of knowing exactly what's in it.
Lawmakers convened behind closed doors in Springfield for hours during their legislative lame duck session but did not pass the bill Tuesday night.
Johnson explained his opposition to the bill the next morning.
"While I am pleased that the IL GA Hemp Bill did not move forward during the lame-duck session, the work to address safety and regulation at state and local levels has just begun. Our communities require legislation that addresses concerns related to minor consumption, as well as opportunities for regulation that supports entrepreneurs and municipalities," Johnson's statement read in part.
Supporters argue the bill would effectively ban all hemp-derived products and drive retailers out of business.
"It criminalizes a federally legal product in a federal legal market, which it doesn't make sense why we would do that and hand it over to the marijuana industry," said Jeremy Dedic, spokesperson for the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association and a co-founder of Cubbington’s Cabinet, which sells hemp-derived CBD products for pets.
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However, representatives from the legal cannabis industry argue that they have spent millions complying with state marijuana laws, while Delta 8 companies have benefited from a loophole in federal law, allowing them to operate without the same regulations.
"Cannabis is an intoxicant, and it requires special treatment to make sure people are consuming, and understand what they're consuming and being safe," said Tiffany Chappell Ingram, Director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois.
Sources tell FOX 32 that Democrats are deeply divided over whether the bill has enough support to pass, though representatives from Gov. Pritzker's office remain confident it will move forward.
The Source: FOX 32's Paris Schutz spoke with several lawmakers and representatives about Delta 8 to write this article.