An Illinois lawmaker has filed legislation to limit the amount of THC in cannabis products, and according to the Chicago Sun-Times, the state’s dispensaries aren’t happy about it. House Bill 4709, which was introduced Jan. 21 by Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), would cap the amount of THC at 10% for flower and 15% for concentrates. Batinick filed the legislation at the request of the Illinois State Medical Society, which has voiced concerns about cannabis potency and the number of cannabis-related calls made to the Illinois Poison Center, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The calls have increased from 487 in 2019 to 743 in 2020, when Illinois launched its adult-use cannabis program, and then rose to 855 in 2021, according to the news outlet. Batinick’s proposal has already received pushback from industry stakeholders, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. NORML sent an email blast on Jan. 25, noting that the legislation would limit access to medical cannabis, according to the news outlet. The organization urged its supporters to contact lawmakers to express opposition to the bill. Batinick has said that the bill “isn’t meant to affect medical marijuana at all,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported, and that he is trying to “find balance and keep people”.
Posted Melissa Schiller, Cannabis Business Times, 01/26/2022 12:27:00