Pritzker: House failing to vote on bipartisan Delta-8 proposal a "tragedy"

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Gov. JB Pritzker is furious the Illinois House failed to vote on a plan to crack down on the sale of intoxicating hemp products before lame duck session adjourned.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle know there is a growing number of stores with unregulated THC products putting consumers at risk. This proposal would ban packaging designed to look like food products and prohibit marketing targeted to children.

It could also impose the same taxing and testing requirements the state has in place for recreational marijuana products. Intoxicating hemp would only be allowed to be sold to customers 21 and older at licensed dispensaries.

However, House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside) allowed his caucus to criticize the governor's efforts during an intense hours long caucus meeting Monday night.

"This would've passed with a supermajority," Pritzker said at unrelated event Tuesday morning. "We know the vast majority of Democrats were in favor of it and the vast majority of Republicans were in favor of it. So the fact that it didn't get called, a bipartisan bill to safeguard the people of the state of Illinois, is a tragedy."

Pritzker noted that too many House Democrats were swayed by special interest groups involved with the hemp industry. The Cannabis Business Association of Illinois is concerned that the intoxicating hemp market will continue to operate without rules or regulations guiding production and sale of products.

"We only have one person to pass away or get sick in the wrong way that gets high profiled that it becomes a problem. That concerns me," said Tiffany Chappell Ingram, Executive Director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois. "I don't see anyone winning in a process where we don't have any regulation."

Chappell Ingram said she is committed to working with the Pritzker administration and lawmakers to rein in the unregulated market, empower consumers and protect public health. Pritzker stressed that he is looking into all opportunities to take action regarding this matter, but the General Assembly would need to pass legislation as well.

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