Lawmakers in Maine and Rhode Island are proposing new restrictions on hemp-derived THC beverages amid a widening nationwide crackdown on the intoxicating hemp products.
While a bill under consideration in Maine would require purchasers of so-called “social sodas” to be 21 or older, one of two bills introduced in Rhode Island would ban the sale of hemp beverages altogether.
Maine has allowed hemp beverages to be sold at gas stations and other retailers throughout the state without any regulations, according to News Center Maine.
However, some public health advocates are calling for an all-out ban akin to the prohibition in California, the television station reported.
Many other states have also pursued total bans, including Tennessee and Alabama.
In Rhode Island, lawmakers are weighing competing proposals to regulate or to ban, according to WPRI.
State Rep. Jacquelyn Baginski’s HB 6056 would limit sales to adults 21 and over, but it would also allow hemp-derived beverages to be served at bars and restaurants.
There are more than 100 licensed hemp retailers and distributors in the state, according to WPRI.
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Liquor stores are keen to continue selling hemp beverages, which are an increasingly popular alternative to alcohol.
They’re opposed to HB 6270, which imposes a “total ban” on hemp-derived THC beverages.
Support is coming from some of the seven licensed marijuana stores in Rhode Island.
One, the Slater Center, pointed out that nearby Massachusetts has banned hemp-derived THC beverages – limiting THC beverages instead to retailers with cannabis licenses.
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