Chicago Moves to Ban Intoxicating Hemp Product Sales

A Chicago City Council committee last week voted to advance a ban on
hemp-derived THC sales within city limits, Block Club Chicago reports.

The ban would cover any products containing hemp-derived THC, and violators
would face up to $5,000 in fines per offense.

The city’s License and Consumer Protection Committee advanced the measure
10-6 on Wednesday. The architect of the ban, Alderman Marty Quinn of the
13th Ward, said before the vote that hemp product retailers are “shady
operations.” The ban is set to be considered by the full City Council
sometime this week.

Public commentary preceded the vote, where local hemp supporters and
business owners jeered the proposal, the report said. The hemp industry has
also found an ally in the hospitality industry, as restaurants and bars
have benefited from intoxicating hemp product offerings.

Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also opposes the ban and instead
called for setting the minimum age to purchase the products to 21, creating
mandatory testing and labeling standards, and creating a new hemp product
tax to generate additional revenue for the city. However, the mayor dropped
his plans following the Trump Administration’s decision last month to
effectively kill the hemp THC industry next November.

Ivan Capifali, Commissioner for the Department of Business Affairs and
Consumer Protection, said on Wednesday an outright ban would be difficult
to implement.

“A full ban of this magnitude is unprecedented to Chicago. The way it is
presented right now is going to take a lot of manpower. We’ll have to test
everything to see if it’s hemp or not.” — Capifali, via Block Club Chicago