Oregon bans over-the-counter sales of synthetic cannabinoids

Oregon will become the first state in the Union to ban synthetic cannabinoids from July.

Regulatory authorities in Oregon (Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, (OLCC) have declared that they are restricting the over-the-counter sale of these products due to concerns about the chemicals used in their manufacture.

What are synthetic cannabinoids?

The cannabinoids are compounds found in cannabis. Various chemical processes enable them to be isolated and synthetically created in abundant quantities.

The Farm Bill of 2018, which legalized hemp at the federal level in the United States, has enabled simpler extraction of cannabidiol (CBD), often used as a starting point for synthetically recreating natural cannabinoids present in minute quantities in the hemp plant.

Since synthetic cannabinoids are derived from hemp and are not accompanied by THC (or below the legal limit of 0.3%), they are virtually unregulated and can be sold freely, especially in supermarkets, petrol stations and other retailers. However, some states have begun to to ban their sale because of the health risks involved and the lack of controls during synthesis and before sale.

The best-known synthetic cannabinoid in the United States is delta-8 THC, It is popular because it reproduces the effect of THC at a lower potency, but not without risk. The Centers for Disease Control warned consumers last year that there had been more than 100 delta-8 exposures requiring hospitalization in just six months nationwide in 2021.

Delta-8 or delta-10, like CBD and CBN, are naturally present in the plant. hemp. However, as they are available in very small quantities, a acid chemical process is used to extract CBD.

«The supply of CBD exceeded the demand for CBD,« said Steven Crowley, hemp compliance and processing specialist at OLCC.

«And so, people who had CBD on hand were looking for other ways to market it. People started working on different products into which they could transform CBD. That's how you get delta-8 THC products.»

The ban takes effect in July, but from July 2023, the sale of synthetic cannabinoids will be permitted in OLCC-licensed cannabis stores - which therefore have a license to sell cannabis - and after the products have undergone rigorous and expensive testing and received approval from the FDA, the US food authority.