A bill introduced in Springfield last week that would restrict the key mind-altering ingredient in legal hash products met with swift opposition from both cannabis advocates and an influential trade group.
State Assemblyman Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, said he got the bill before the filing deadline at the behest of the Illinois State Medical Society, whose members have concerns about potency and the "skyrocketing" number of cannabis-related calls to the Illinois Poison Center brought in.
Those calls rose from 487 in 2019 to 743 in 2020 - when cannabis was fully legalized - and then climbed to 855 last year. Many were related to the consumption of cannabis-infused edibles, the Poisons Center reported.
Batinick's proposal would limit the THC content in cannabis flowers to 10% and set a limit of 15% for concentrates and infusion products. Pam Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association, believes such a rule would be unprecedented - and would place a burden on weed producers.
"It's practically almost impossible to do that," added Althoff, who believes lawmakers should instead focus on regulating alternative hemp-derived cannabinoids like Delta-8 and THC-O that don't have the same stringency Just like legal weed products, they are subject to tests and controls.
Many customers are currently shopping by THC content, and legal weed products on pharmacy shelves are typically much stronger than suggested levels. Many marijuana flowers have 20-30% THC. However, at least one concentrated cannabis product currently available in a Chicago dispensary has a THC content of more than 80%.
While Batinick said the bill was tabled "more from a discussion standpoint" and "won't necessarily move forward," he noted that it has already garnered some "nasty emails" from critics.
That's not terribly surprising given that the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the nation's oldest cannabis lobbying organization, sent out an email Tuesday urging its supporters to get in touch with lawmakers and get involved to oppose the bill.
"If passed, this bill would significantly limit access to stronger forms of cannabis, with the most adverse effects being on those who rely on marijuana for its medicinal properties," the email said. "Just as conventional medicines come in a variety of strengths and potencies to meet individual patient needs, medical cannabis and regulated products in general should come in a variety of potencies and formulations."
The email noted that weed cannot cause a fatal overdose. NORML also warned that THC caps would limit access to medical cannabis and drive more users to the already thriving black market - a concern Althoff shares.
Batinick insisted the bill "shouldn't have any impact on medical marijuana at all," saying he was just trying to "strike a balance and protect people." In addition, he acknowledged that the proposal could still be changed: "No one is perfect the first time".
The medical community acknowledged that the legislation will be difficult to enforce.
"Upon the direction of our members, the ISMS has requested the introduction of this law," a spokesman said in a statement. "But we know it's going to be a tough fight."
Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat who sponsored recent legislation revising the legalization bill, said he was open to discussion -- even though he thinks the current version of Batinick's bill is a "false start."
"I think that as we move forward, it drives the discussion forward," Ford said. "Those are the kinds of discussions that we need to have. It's definitely a concern for some people, so we should look into it. But that means not that it's over."
