Support SB1186 and HB2679

We urge you to support SB1186 & HB2679, the Hemp-Derived Product Safety & Regulation Bill. SB1186 & HB2679 was developed in direct collaboration with the Arizona Department of Agriculture to update Arizona’s hemp laws to comply with federal law and to create a strict regulatory framework that imposes stringent rules on “hemp-derived products” (such as CBD & Delta-8).

SB1186 & HB2679 imposes strict regulations on hemp-derived products to implement consumer safety protections. These protections ensure hemp-derived products are safe for adult consumers – and ensure products intended for adults stay out of the hands of children.

Hemp-derived products such as CBD and Delta 8 are currently being processed, manufactured and sold at retail stores in Arizona. For example, CBD has been processed, manufactured and sold at retail stores in Arizona for over 10 years. Hemp-derived products (which include edible products, inhalable products, and topical products) are sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, smoke shops, liquor stores, CBD stores, doctors’ offices and more.

These hemp-derived products are legal at the federal and state level, but currently have no regulatory oversight. The federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the 2018 Farm Bill clearly and unambiguously defines these products as legal so long as they are no greater than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight. Rulings of multiple state and federal courts have clarified and confirmed that hemp-derived products are legal at the state and federal level.

These products will continue to be processed, manufactured and sold at retail without any regulatory oversight if SB1186 & HB2679 is not passed. Regulations are needed to implement consumer protections, protect children from accidental ingestion, support farmers and small businesses, and create new tax dollars for Arizona. SB1186 & HB2679 creates a strict regulatory framework that addresses consumer demand while protecting the health and safety of our communities.

While hemp-derived products are not inherently harmful to your health, what is harmful is unregulated products that do not undergo testing and are sold without any consumer protections. Any unregulated products in any industry pose potential dangers to children and consumers because they are not controlled under any clear regulatory framework. It is important to note that hemp-derived products are not synthetic and as such are legal at the state and federal level. Synthetic products have been banned at both the state and federal level for over a decade.

The Arizona Department of Agriculture is the appropriate agency to oversee hemp-derived products because they are already the designated agency to regulate hemp according to federal law. These products are federally legal, conform to rulings of state and federal courts and already fall under the regulatory purview of the USDA and the Arizona Department of Agriculture.

Please support SB1186 & HB2679 and work with stakeholders to impose regulations on a legal, but currently unregulated market so that we can protect the safety and health of our children and communities.