Attorney General Jeff Jackson Urges Congress to Keep Hemp-Derived THC Products Away from Kids

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 27, 2025

Email: nahmed@ncdoj.gov
Phone: 919-538-2809

RALEIGH – Attorney General Jeff Jackson and a bipartisan group of 38 attorneys general are asking Congress to clarify the definition of “hemp” to prevent the continued sale of unregulated, intoxicating THC products, especially to children.

“This issue is something parents across North Carolina have told me they’re worried about,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “It’s too easy for kids to walk into a gas station and buy a product that is unregulated and could be really harmful for them. We need some federal protections on this to keep our kids safe – I’m asking Congress to step up here.” 

Since the passage of the 2018 federal Farm Bill, hemp-derived THC products, which can be more potent than marijuana, have flooded the market because sellers have exploited ambiguity in the bill. These synthetic cannabinoids, including delta-8, delta-10, THC-O, and others, are available for people, even kids, to buy in gas stations, convenience stores, and online retailers.

These products don’t have consistent age restrictions, label standards, or safety requirements. They also often come in packaging to design on purpose to appeal to children. In some states, poison control centers have reported alarming increases in child exposures to these substances. And these products can have serious side effects for children, sometimes causing hallucinations, vomiting, tremor, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and even a loss of consciousness.

Attorney General Jackson has spoken on this issue before. In June, he spoke in support of a state bill that would ban some hemp products and the sale of some THC drinks and gummies to people under the age of 21.

In their letter, the coalition of attorneys general urge U.S. Senate and House letters to clarify the federal definition of hemp either during the upcoming appropriations process or during the reauthorization of the Farm Bill.

Attorney General Jackson is joined in sending this letter by the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Read the letter here.

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