Topline
The Federal Trade Commission has called out companies in six states for selling Delta-8 THC, a psychoactive substance sourced from hemp, in packaging "almost identical" to children's snacks like Doritos, gummy bears and Nerds candy.
Key Facts
The FTC on Wednesday said it and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent cease and desist letters to companies in California, Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, New Jersey and New Mexico that are selling Delta-8 products in "copycat" packages that "make it easy for a young child to ingest in very high doses without realizing it.”
The FTC says the company out of Missouri sells THC-infused chips in packaging almost identical to nacho cheese flavored Doritos and Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot chips; the New Jersey shop sells "Dope Rope Bites" that closely resemble Nerds Rope candy; and a Los Angeles-based brand sells THC gummy bears in "brightly colored packaging" that looks "like conventional gummy candies.
"The confusing packaging presents "unwarranted health or safety risks" to children, the FTC said Wednesday, and could make it easy for them to accidentally eat the drug-infused snacks.
The FTC's letters told the companies to stop marketing the edibles in childlike packaging and gave them 15 days to respond with details of what they've done to remedy the problem.
Key Background
Delta-8 is a THC product, the major psychoactive component in cannabis, that is made from hemp instead of marijuana and can therefore be sold in some states where commercial sales of marijuana are illegal. The products popped up following the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp cultivation with a THC level below 0.3% at the federal level. Delta-8 THC is found naturally in cannabis plants in small amounts, but the products currently on the market are created by chemically converting CBD—a non-psychoactive substance in cannabis—into the Delta-8 molecule, which has led some to raise safety concerns. Improper or imprecise techniques used in conversion can lead to high levels of impurities in the final product, the health effects of which are currently unknown.
Big Number
$2 billion. That’s how much sales of Delta-8 THC products have generated in the last two years following a surge in popularity.
Further Reading
Delta-8 THC Generated $2 Billion In Revenue In Two Years, Report Finds (Forbes)
Arkansas Bans Delta-8 THC Products And Other Hemp-Derived Psychoactive Cannabinoids (Forbes)
FTC Reprimands Companies Selling Delta-8 THC In Packages Resembling Regular Snacks - Forbes
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