HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday has joined a bipartisan coalition of 38 other Attorneys General in sending a letter to congressional leaders urging them to clarify the definition of “hemp,” which bad actors have exploited due to a perceived loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill.
In the letter, the coalition urges immediate action to clarify the federal definition of hemp and prevent the continued sale of unregulated and intoxicating THC products containing synthetic cannabinoids, such as Delta-8.
The products are rampantly available in Pennsylvania and often packaged to attract children.
“For too long, bad actors have used the loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill to profit from super-potent, hemp-derived THC products by placing them in gas stations, convenience stores, and online marketplaces,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This unregulated market allows children to buy these extremely potent products, oftentimes without any knowledge that the products are intoxicating, addictive, and not safe.”
Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived THC products have flooded the public facing market due to a misinterpretation of the bill’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.
Many of these products are more potent than marijuana and the packaging often appeals to children as many of the products appear to be “candy” or “soda” or other consumable products that may primarily be advertised to children. These products are being manufactured and sold without consistent age restrictions, labeling standards, or safety requirements.
In some states, poison control centers have reported alarming increases of children being exposed to these hemp-derived THC products.
In the letter, the coalition of Attorneys General urge the leaders of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and 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.
In addition to Attorney General Sunday, the Attorneys General from the following states and territories joined the letter: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevasa, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.
To read the letter, click here.
# # #