Oregon Bill to Set New THC Cap for Cannabis Edibles Fails
- A proposal in Oregon to cap THC content at 10 milligrams per single cannabis edible failed in the House despite passing the Senate.
- The bill, introduced by Sen. Lisa Reynolds, aimed to prevent children from accidentally consuming high doses of THC by limiting individually packaged edibles.
- Cannabis industry lobbyists opposed the bill, arguing it would ban popular products, reduce state tax revenue, and increase plastic waste due to required individual packaging.
- Similar legislation in Washington led to a 75% drop in child cannabis poisonings, but Oregon currently allows up to 100 milligrams of THC per edible package.
A proposal introduced in Oregon this year to cap the THC content in a single cannabis-infused edible at 10 milligrams has failed in the House, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports.
Introduced by state Sen. Lisa Reynolds (D) of Portland, the bill was supposed to help prevent instances of children finding and consuming cannabis edibles that contain massive amounts of intoxicating cannabinoids. The rule would have applied only to individually packaged cannabis edibles; packages of multiple edibles would have been allowed to contain more than the limit, so long as no single piece contained over 10 milligrams of THC.
The bill passed the Senate in a bipartisan 22-5 vote but faced more opposition and ultimately failed in the House, where cannabis industry lobbyists argued the proposal would ban certain popular edibles and lead to lost tax revenue for the state. Industry representatives also argued the bill would create more plastic waste, as each edible would need to be individually wrapped.
Lawmakers implemented a similar bill in Washington in 2017, after which the state saw 75% fewer hospitalizations for child cannabis poisonings, according to testimony heard for the proposal. Cannabis edibles in Oregon can currently contain up to 100 milligrams of THC in a single package.