Chicago Pushes Ahead with Plan to Ban Psychoactive Hemp Products Amidst Industry Backlash
A contentious plan to ban intoxicating hemp products in Chicago has advanced through a key city council committee, despite warnings from industry leaders about devastating revenue loss and job cuts. The measure, proposed by 13th Ward Alderman Marty Quinn, would outlaw hemp beverages, gummies, edibles, and other goods with psychoactive compounds identical to those found in marijuana.
Quinn's proposal was met with fierce opposition from Mayor Brandon Johnson and industry leaders, who argue that the ban would harm small businesses and disrupt a booming market worth billions of dollars in Illinois. The state has been grappling with regulating the hemp industry since 2018, when federal legislation allowed THC to be extracted from hemp and concentrated into products that make people feel high.
Quinn insists that the ban is necessary to protect children and the public from unregulated products. "Are we really going to prop up a shady industry that sells dangerous and unregulated products to children?" he asked during a hearing packed with opponents from the hemp industry. However, many in the industry argue that most of their businesses are legitimate and would be unfairly targeted by the ban.
The plan would take effect within 10 days of its potential passage, penalizing businesses up to $5,000 for selling hemp products. Industry leaders have called for setting an age minimum of 21 to buy hemp products, while implementing testing and labeling standards. "The federal government is looking to close this loophole, and until then, I'm in favor of closing all the loopholes here in the city of Chicago," said Alderman Anthony Beale.
Despite concerns about enforcement, Quinn remains committed to pushing forward with his proposal. The full City Council will have a chance to vote on the ban in the coming weeks.
A contentious plan to ban intoxicating hemp products in Chicago has advanced through a key city council committee, despite warnings from industry leaders about devastating revenue loss and job cuts. The measure, proposed by 13th Ward Alderman Marty Quinn, would outlaw hemp beverages, gummies, edibles, and other goods with psychoactive compounds identical to those found in marijuana.
Quinn's proposal was met with fierce opposition from Mayor Brandon Johnson and industry leaders, who argue that the ban would harm small businesses and disrupt a booming market worth billions of dollars in Illinois. The state has been grappling with regulating the hemp industry since 2018, when federal legislation allowed THC to be extracted from hemp and concentrated into products that make people feel high.
Quinn insists that the ban is necessary to protect children and the public from unregulated products. "Are we really going to prop up a shady industry that sells dangerous and unregulated products to children?" he asked during a hearing packed with opponents from the hemp industry. However, many in the industry argue that most of their businesses are legitimate and would be unfairly targeted by the ban.
The plan would take effect within 10 days of its potential passage, penalizing businesses up to $5,000 for selling hemp products. Industry leaders have called for setting an age minimum of 21 to buy hemp products, while implementing testing and labeling standards. "The federal government is looking to close this loophole, and until then, I'm in favor of closing all the loopholes here in the city of Chicago," said Alderman Anthony Beale.
Despite concerns about enforcement, Quinn remains committed to pushing forward with his proposal. The full City Council will have a chance to vote on the ban in the coming weeks.
. If they're worried about kids getting affected by psychoactive hemp products, shouldn't they be regulating it instead of banning it? It's like saying "we can't control people so let's control what they buy" 
. What if the industry just moves to another city that allows it? Illinois would lose a lot of money and jobs... 5k fine isn't enough to stop someone from selling hemp products 
. Shouldn't we be supporting businesses instead of punishing them for trying to do things right? The gov's already got their hands full with regulating everything, why make it harder on small businesses? It just doesn't add up 
, this is insane! Like, can't they just let businesses grow and make money? 
This psychoactive hemp products ban is gonna be disastrous for small biz owners and Illinois as a whole... 
Billion-dollar industry in jeopardy over some Alderman's paranoia 
. And 21 years old is still way too young to be making life-altering decisions 
. Just set a decent age limit and call it a day... 
. I get why they wanna protect kids and all, but a total ban seems extreme 
. It's like, regulating these products is already super hard in the US, and now Chicago wants to be even more strict? 
The hemp industry is still pretty new, and it's not like it's some fly-by-night operation 
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And what about all the legit hemp companies out there? Are they gonna be unfairly targeted too? 
. We need to find a balance between safety and business regulations 
. Can't we just set some basic standards for testing and labeling instead of completely banning the products? 
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and what's with all these new laws anyway? can't we just let people make their own choices about what they put in their bodies? 
and they just added these amazing plant-based burgers i'm totally going to try them this weekend 
but anyway back to chicago's hemp ban thing... 10k fine for selling hemp products is kinda steep don't get me wrong it's not like the city is going to lose out on billions or anything lol 
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And what's up with the 10-day turnaround? It's like they're trying to rush this through without even considering the consequences. 
This whole thing is just a mess, and I'm not sure why we can't have a more nuanced discussion about it. 
! Did you know that 63% of Americans support stricter regulation of hemp products? 
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. They deserve our support, not a blanket ban! Setting an age minimum of 21 to buy hemp products would be a great start 
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. I dunno, maybe we need more regulation or something 
And what's the real threat here? Kids getting into these products? I mean, come on, it's still pretty rare for kids to stumble upon this stuff in Chicago