Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

An unintended, but likely forseeable consequence of over-cautious policies

Posted in:

Illinois
Updated Posts

* Chicago never opted in to legalized video gaming, so those gray-market sweepstakes games have popped up all over. The same sort of thing is now happening with the slow rollout of cannabis dispensaries and on-site consumption…

A growing number of Chicago businesses are now exploiting a loophole in federal law that appears to allow the unfettered sale of a trendy hemp byproduct called Delta-8-THC, which has commonly been described as “marijuana-lite” or “diet weed.”

Retailers across the city have started selling a variety of Delta-8 products in settings that resemble licensed cannabis dispensaries but aren’t subject to the same stiff regulations. Many sell everything from edibles to vaping cartridges, as well as smokable hemp flower sprayed with Delta-8 extract.

Some places are dosing food and drinks with Delta-8 and allowing customers to consume it on site. That flies in the face of a hard-fought provision in the state’s marijuana legalization law that tightly regulates on-site consumption, which isn’t allowed in Chicago yet. […]

Pam Althoff, a former state senator who now serves as the association’s executive director, said Delta-8 sellers are increasingly cropping up in “cannabis deserts,” where licensed pot shops haven’t opened.

* Related…

And as @WBEZpolitics disclosed this week, Arroyo’s son and daughter-in-law also are being scrutinized by the feds https://t.co/QurXHbJBkA

— Dan Mihalopoulos (@dmihalopoulos) April 9, 2021

…Adding… This could turn into whack-a-mole, but we’ll see…

Rich -

Saw your “An unintended…” post. Wanted to flag that my legislation (expecting it to be voted out of the House this week, bipartisan support and supported by the IL Department of Agriculture and IDPH) would provide regulatory authority for the first time to the Illinois Department of Agriculture to oversee and regulate CBD and Delta 8 products.

https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=HB&DocNum=147&GAID=16&SessionID=110&LegID=127978

Happy to provide further explanation/comment as well.

Bob Morgan
IL State Representative (58th Dist.)

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 1:51 pm

Comments

Alcohol is served at bars and the vast majority of restaurants, and can be purchased at grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, etc.

What’s so risky about allowing consumption of cannabis products in cannabis cafes? I genuinely don’t understand what the concern is. This is also a trouble for tourists, who will often lack a place to consume cannabis legally, so they may just opt not to buy it and the state and local shops both lose out.

Comment by Techie Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 1:56 pm
It’s a family affair?…who knew?

Comment by Dotnonymous Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 2:03 pm
Wow. Interesting articles cited. I actually love it. Entrepreneurs getting around the loopholes. When millionaires and billionaires get around paying their taxes through loopholes, they brag about it. I see this as no different, especially given alcohol is far worse and has few restrictions.

Comment by TheUpperRoom Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 2:04 pm
– What’s so risky about allowing consumption of cannabis products in cannabis cafes? –

This is a byproduct of hemp that’s going unregulated (and untaxed) like cannabis, which means it isn’t subject to the same testing to ensure it’s safe for consumers. It’s not just your normal, everyday cannabis product.

Comment by good luck Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 2:06 pm
How many cops will park outside any on-site location…just for cannabis kicks?

Illinois legalized pot…kinda?

All of this has a federal solution.

Comment by Dotnonymous Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 2:10 pm
@good luck

I think you missed my point - I’m not advocating in favor of this hemp byproduct.

Rather, I’m pointing out that businesses wouldn’t be looking for loopholes like this if real (regulated and tested) cannabis could be legally consumed in licensed cafes, just as alcohol is consumed in licensed establishments.

I don’t know why the legislation that legalized recreational cannabis in Illinois didn’t also provide for some means of licensing businesses to offer consumers a place to legally consume cannabis outside of the home.

Or perhaps if that was too tricky to include in the original bill, why they didn’t come up with a separate bill for cafes.

Comment by Techie Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 2:56 pm
I actually tried the Delta 8 and it actually does give you a high unlike regular CBD. I vaped both kinds. With that said it is a less than high. You won’t get your mind blown but you feel like a good.

Made me laugh at that Impractical Joker show that my sides hurt.

Comment by The Dude Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 4:10 pm
A father and son combo sandwich. Wishing the Arroyos the best in this investigation.

Comment by Okee doe Key Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 4:23 pm
== What’s so risky about allowing consumption of cannabis products in cannabis cafes? I genuinely don’t understand what the concern is. ==

This may be a sign of me being a huge square, is that product something you can consume a bit of and drive safely 30 minutes later?

Also again, huge square here, but are there versions that are smoked that do not smell horrible? I can tell when my neighbor is partaking (not a problem with me at all)?

I am not against on-site consumption, just think they need to get out in front of the objections better IMHO.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Apr 12, 21 @ 4:45 pm