Public Health Advisory: Hemp Products
Summary
Marin County Public Health is issuing this advisory to healthcare providers regarding the increasing availability and use of hemp products that cause intoxication and adverse effects, especially in youth.
Background
Marin County Public Health is issuing this advisory to healthcare providers regarding the increasing availability and use of hemp products that cause intoxication and adverse effects, especially in youth.
Hemp is a component of the cannabis plant that is non-intoxicating in its natural form. Hemp products are therefore not regulated as cannabis products are. Hemp products are generally available for purchase by residents of any age. However, recent chemical modifications of commercially available hemp, especially the addition of Delta-8 THC, have made some hemp products more psychoactive than regulated cannabis products.
These products are often packaged and marketed to appeal to youth and are available for purchase without age restriction in convenience stores and other shops in Marin County.
In Marin County, 911 calls involving marijuana or cannabis for residents under the age of 18 increased by 93% between 2021 and 2022. The consumption of edible preparations, including those marketed as hemp, is driving this increase.
Actions Requested of Providers
Healthcare providers should be aware that products sold as hemp and legally marketed to youth now contain strongly psychoactive substances.
In counseling patients and families, the known health impacts of excessive cannabis use should be assumed to apply to psychoactive hemp products. These concerns are the basis for the 21-year-old age minimum for cannabis use and warnings against use in pregnancy.
Patients presenting with cannabis intoxication symptoms who do not report cannabis use should be asked about their use of hemp products and managed accordingly. Acutely, Delta-8 THC and other hemp-derived cannabinoids cause familiar effects, including:
- Lethargy
- Confusion
- Uncoordinated movements
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Rapid heart rate progressing to slowed heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Sedation
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Increases in Availability of Cannabis Products Containing Delta-8 THC and Reported Cases of Adverse Events
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA): 5 Things to Know about Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol – Delta-8 THC | FDA
- CDC Marijuana homepage: Marijuana and Public Health (cdc.gov)
- Getting it Right from the Start: Advancing Public Health & Equity in Cannabis Policy Cannabis vs. Hemp Fact Sheet
