The intent of the 2018 farm bill was to promote industrial hemp products for consumers, not industrialized THC products for intoxication.
The continuing resolution signed by President Donald Trump to end the government shutdown included a measure similar to the one Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed from Texas Senate Bill 3 addressing this “hemp THC” loophole, which is being exploited by an addiction-for-profit industry.
U.S. Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, tried to rescue the hemp THC industry, but they were defeated in a bipartisan landslide reminiscent of the results in the Texas Legislature.
The federal law does not take effect for another year, but the risks need to be mitigated now.
The public safety impact of THC from any source should be better assessed and the public better informed of the risks.
Abbott has already issued an executive order prohibiting the sale of any THC products to minors. He should also order that all fatality crashes include drug toxicology reports as is routinely done for alcohol.
THC and alcohol impair driving, but nearly four times as many cannabis users (42%) as alcohol users (11%) consume nearly every day. Presumably, most don’t refrain from driving.
Also, marijuana plants of today can be 10 times more potent as they were in the 1970s, and THC products still available through thousands of Texas industry outlets can exceed the potency of the plant itself.
A six-year study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons last month showed that more than 40% of deceased drivers in one major Ohio county tested positive for THC.
Further, these drivers had average THC levels five to 10 times above the impairment level established by marijuana legal states.
Texas already does a very good job investigating the impact of substance use on child abuse and neglect fatalities, with investigators determining that marijuana products are by far the most likely substance to be implicated.
Abbott should execute an order that all non-natural deaths be investigated for substance use. Other states have done this and discovered that it is now THC (known to promote suicidal ideation) and not alcohol or opioids that is the substance most likely to be found in youth suicide victims.
While he’s at it, toxicology reports on all people charged with murder should be immediately reported.
Public knowledge of THC risks lags far behind the scientific evidence.
Texas should promote a public service campaign to educate youth, young adults and parents on the known risks. Use in pregnancy is particularly worrisome in light of the strong evidence of premature births.
Perhaps in the next legislative session Abbott will meet with the experts in mental health and public safety, like our legislators did, and not just industry lobbyists.
In the meantime, there is much more he can do to assess the damage, mitigate the risks and inform the public.
Matt Poling is a College Station physician, veteran, former foster parent, and medical adviser for Citizens for a Safe and Health Texas.
Originally published at San Antonio Experess News https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/until-hemp-ban-goes-into-effect-texas-can-do-more-to-educate-on-impacts-of-thc/ar-AA1R2o5h