One of Louisiana’s top lawmakers is sparring with state health officials, blaming them for confusion that has led to the legalization of hemp products that can get people high, reports Louisiana Illuminator.
Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says the health department has botched implementation of the legislation he championed to create the state’s consumable hemp industry. The controversy involves over-the-counter products that contain delta-9 THC, a type of psychoactive compound found in cannabis.
Louisiana’s consumable hemp industry includes growers, manufacturers and retailers of various hemp products, each of whom must get approval from the health department before products can be sold to the public. It’s an industry that has grown very quickly and created a new group of wealthy business owners.
Schexnayder called on the health department to explain why it approved products that can get people high, and the state’s Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control sent out a memo vowing to remove any illegal products from retail sites.
LDH officials have acknowledged the agency mistakenly approved about 230 products it shouldn’t have, specifically vape cartridges that some manufacturers disguised as CBD tinctures.
