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Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation to regulate Delta
8 and Delta 9 products and require them to meet the same
standards as legal marijuana, including sales through
dispensaries.
A Democratic Caucus meeting on the subject Monday night was so
contentious that a member of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s team
reportedly left in tears.
“Being treated poorly by elected officials is frankly
unacceptable and I told that to the Speaker,” Pritzker said at
an unrelated event Tuesday.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been a vocal opponent of the
hemp bill, but Pritzker doesn’t believe he was the one to kill
the measure.
“My impression is he didn’t have much to do with this,” said
Pritzker. “There’s a powerful lobby that has been working
against this bill for quite some time.”
Not everyone is so sure, including Minority Leader Tony McCombie,
R-Savanna.
“The Mayor of Chicago is now running the Illinois Democratic
Caucus. Not a surprise given the chaos and disorganization on
constant display. The Speaker scrambles to put out fires within
his own party and continues to overlook meaningful bipartisan
solutions to critical issues,” McCombie said in a statement.
Some are claiming victory in the defeat of the hemp legislation,
including the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association (ILHAA).
“The ILHAA extends its gratitude to the Illinois General
Assembly for taking the time during its recent lame-duck session
to consider the implications of House Bill 4293. We appreciate
the legislators’ dedication to ensuring that the voices of small
businesses were heard and that careful deliberation prevented
the advancement of legislation that could have devastated our
industry, threatening hundreds of companies and thousands of
jobs across Illinois,” the group said in a statement.
It is uncertain whether the bill will be refiled when a new
legislative session begins Wednesday. |
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