The hemp loophole puts youth at risk

As president and CEO of D.A.R.E. America, I have spent my career working to keep our youth safe from dangerous substances that threaten their health, futures and ability to succeed. Today, however, America is facing a rapidly escalating drug threat hiding in plain sight: intoxicating hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products that are flooding communities across the country under the false banner of being “legal” and “safe.” 

What began as an effort to legalize hemp for benign uses such as in textile production has morphed into a multibillion-dollar industry where highly potent THC hemp products are available for sale with little rules or regulations through a loophole Congress never intended to create. THC hemp gummies, beverages and vapes are now sold in gas stations, grocery stores and online marketplaces nationwide – often with minimal oversight, misleading labeling and weak or nonexistent safeguards preventing youth access. 

At a moment when the American economy is already grappling with labor shortages, declining workforce participation and growing concerns over productivity, this is not just a public health issue – it is an economic one.

America’s workforce is the backbone of our economy, and widespread normalization of these intoxicating THC hemp products is threatening that foundation. A recent University of California San Diego study found that teenagers who used cannabis showed slower gains in memory, attention, language and processing speed over time compared to non-users. Researchers further warned that THC exposure was linked to impaired memory during critical stages of brain development. These cognitive shortcomings are the very skills tied to educational achievement, workplace performance and long-term economic productivity. 

Businesses across the country are already sounding the alarm. Employers in transportation, manufacturing, construction and public safety sectors are increasingly facing challenges related to workplace impairment, employee reliability and maintaining safe job environments due to THC hemp. At a time when the United States is competing globally for economic growth and innovation, America cannot afford to normalize intoxicating hemp products that may undermine the next generation of workers and leaders.

Equally troubling is how aggressively these products are being marketed to children. THC-infused gummies and candies are often packaged to resemble popular children’s snacks and sweets, blurring the line between recreational products and everyday consumer goods. 

The impacts of this deceptive marking have been a disaster. Between 2021 and 2022, THC-related poison control center calls surged to more than 79 percent nationwide, while emergency room visits from 2019 to 2022 involving THC exposure among young children increased by 214 percent. 

For organizations such as D.A.R.E., where we have spent decades educating students about making healthy choices and living drug-free lives, the rapid expansion of intoxicating THC hemp products sends a dangerous and contradictory message to America’s youth. We cannot claim to prioritize prevention and productivity while allowing these highly potent THC hemp products to be sold unchecked in communities across the country.

This debate also comes at a pivotal moment nationally. Policymakers in Washington and state capitols across the country are recognizing the unintended consequences of the loophole that has allowed intoxicating THC hemp to proliferate. Congress was right to close the loophole last year, and it should work with the Trump Administration to enforce the law once it takes effect this November. Doing so is not about opposing legitimate industrial hemp or non-intoxicating cannabidiol (CBD) products meant to treat stress and pain, it is about restoring common sense protections, safeguarding public health and protecting our youth to ensure the long-term strength of the American workforce and economy.

America cannot afford to normalize a generation of intoxicating drug use while simultaneously asking businesses, schools and families to solve for its consequences. The stakes are simply too high.

Frank Pegueros is the President and CEO of D.A.R.E America, one of America’s preeminent organizations focused on preventing substance abuse. Since 1983, D.A.R.E has worked to teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.