Regulating synthetic, marijuana-like products in Virginia
Last week, Virginia emergency physicians joined three other prominent state healthcare groups to call on the Governor to regulate the sale of illicit, intoxicating THC-infused products. These products are sold in convenience stores in every corner of the state, none are subject to regulatory oversight, and many contain illegal amounts of THC and other intoxicating, synthetic THC derivatives.
If you’re an emergency physician, you’re well aware of the issue. And if you have attended meetings or events with VACEP members over the last year, you know how much the topic comes up. Recently, there has been a surge of cases in children who ingest and are poisoned by delta-8, delta-9, and other products. From the Virginia Mercury:
Data from Virginia hospitals collected by the VHHA shows a sizable uptick in pediatric emergency room visits related to cannabis ingestion. There were 369 such visits in the third quarter of 2021. The number grew to 583 visits in the second quarter of 2022, the most recent period for which data was available. The aggregate data doesn’t include specific information on the types of THC products driving the spike.
The letter from VACEP, the Medical Society of Virginia, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association and the Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics asks for Governor Glenn Youngkin to sign two bills that were offered and passed the General Assembly this year. The bills would establish a limit of 2 milligrams of THC per package, which is essential to protecting health. The products would also be required to undergo testing by a DEA-registered third-party laboratory to ensure quality.
