Kentucky General Assembly Subcommittee Approves Hemp-Derived Product Regulations

The Kentucky General Assembly’s Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee approved hemp-derived product regulations to provide increased oversight for intoxicating cannabinoids, including delta-8 THC.

The emergency rules go hand-in-hand with Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive orders regarding medical cannabis, as well as laws the General Assembly passed this year that legalized medical cannabis and regulated delta-8 THC in the state.

Regulations for Kentucky’s medical cannabis program are to be established by July 1, 2024, according to the bill that Beshear signed into law in March.

The measure Beshear signed that same month to regulate delta-8 THC requires individuals to be 21 years or older to purchase delta-8 products and directs retailers to keep these wares covered behind the counter to prevent the products from being stolen or inadvertently getting into the hands of children.

The bill also implemented several packaging, labeling and testing regulations for delta-8, including requirements that products are tested for contaminants, and that product packaging must have a tamper-evident seal and cannot make any health claims.

Subcommittee members have been working closely with Kentucky’s cannabis industry and business owners to fine-tune these requirements. New rules included in the emergency regulations include provisions related to packaging, storage and ID requirements for purchasing intoxicating hemp-derived products, according to a WKYT report.

The regulations included in the emergency rules will remain effective until April 27, 2024, according to a Kentucky Today report. The regulatory package can be amended before a final version is ultimately approved by the subcommittee.

Once the regulations are formally adopted, businesses must be compliant within 90 days, WKYT reported.