Illinois Delays Hemp Ban After Lawsuit From 250 Businesses
Illinois agreed to temporarily delay enforcement of a ban on intoxicating hemp products after more than 250 businesses filed a lawsuit to block the regulations.
The state of Illinois has agreed to temporarily delay the enforcement of new regulations on intoxicating hemp products until at least November 19. The reprieve follows a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by more than 250 hemp businesses, led by the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association.
JB Pritzker, the Governor of Illinois, signed the law to close an "intoxicating hemp loophole" and protect children from misleading packaging. The regulations classify consumable and topical hemp products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container as marijuana, which restricts their sale exclusively to licensed dispensaries. This effectively bans the sale of such products at gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue the law is unconstitutional and threatens the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and retailers. The legal challenge names Attorney General Kwame Raoul and directors of the state departments of Agriculture and Public Health as defendants. While the state provides a temporary delay for the named plaintiffs, some businesses in Chicago have already begun advertising last-call sales on hemp-derived products.
