Kentucky’s governor signed a bill into law that establishes a framework to test, label and regulate delta-8 and outlaws sales to those younger than under 21.
The bill, which was approved by the state’s Republican-led House and Senate, also bans possession for those younger than 21 and requires retailers to keep those products behind a counter, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s signing comes after his executive order last year that regulated packaging and labeling of delta-8 products.
“We did our best in an executive order, but we couldn’t do many things in that executive order that you can via legislation,” Beshear said during a news conference, the newspaper reported.
“So, this really good bill codifies the executive order into law, but it does a lot else in establishing a regulatory structure.”
Sales of delta-8 THC have soared across the United States since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp production and products containing less than 0.3% THC.
Despite that safety net, at least 14 states have banned delta-8, according to O’Flaherty Law in Naperville, Illinois.
Kentucky joins three other states that recently cracked down on the production and sale of delta-8 products and their derivatives – Connecticut, Utah and Virginia.
Lawmakers in West Virginia are also proposing a ban.
