Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, famous for their stoner comedy duo, have filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Public Health over new regulations that ban hemp products with any detectable amount of THC.
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This lawsuit, filed by Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis Co. along with the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, seeks to challenge Assembly Bill No. 45, which Gov. Gavin Newsom enforced through an emergency ban on hemp-derived THC products.
The regulation, which aims to protect children from psychoactive hemp products, prohibits any detectable THC in products like supplements, food, beverages, and pet products.
Newsom defended the measure, emphasizing the need to safeguard minors from potentially harmful substances marketed toward them.
However, Cheech and Chong's legal team argues that the regulations overstep the original intention of AB 45, claiming it unfairly impacts small hemp businesses and stifles the industry.
The lawsuit challenges the scope of the new rules, particularly targeting the provision that requires hemp products to contain no detectable THC. It claims that this move could devastate the hemp sector and lead to significant financial losses.
The emergency ban will remain in place until March 2025, during which time lawmakers will work to develop long-term regulatory solutions. In the meantime, Cheech and Chong are seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the enforcement of the ban.
This case underscores the ongoing tension between regulatory efforts to control cannabis and hemp products and industry interests pushing for broader market freedoms.
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