Written by Tom Vicini, President of Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education, Inc.)
For more than two decades, Operation UNITE has worked across southern and eastern Kentucky to prevent substance misuse, connect people to treatment, and support law enforcement.
When Congress originally passed the 2018 Farm Bill, it was with the intent of helping support our American farmers and agricultural communities, like those here in Kentucky — not to open the floodgates to an illegal hemp market. Unfortunately, this well-intentioned piece of legislation was exploited and gave way to a legal opening for bad actors to sell potent, intoxicating products with no age restrictions, no safety standards, and no oversight.
Former Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf recently warned Congress that Chinese-linked criminal organizations have infiltrated the intoxicating hemp supply chain, importing synthetic cannabinoids into the United States under mislabeled shipments. The White House’s 2026 National Drug Control Strategy echoed that concern, describing how the hemp market has been co-opted by transnational criminal organizations tied to China.
Here in Kentucky, farmers did see an initial boom in hemp. The industry grew to 26,500 licensed acres for hemp production in 2019. By 2021, hemp acreage was declining, and less than 2,000 acres planted in 2022 and 2023. Too often, these are not American farm products, but synthetic compounds manufactured overseas and sold in candy packaging at gas stations and convenience stores.
Independent testing has found that many products contain synthetic cannabinoids with potency levels far exceeding anything found naturally in the plant. Without mandatory labeling or safety testing, young people have no idea what they are actually ingesting or where it came from. A 2023 NIH-funded survey found that more than 11% of high school seniors reported past-year use of delta-8 THC. A testament to how easy these unregulated products are to access.
Kentucky has experienced a dramatic rise in pediatric THC exposures. The Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel reported that cannabinoid ingestion or overdose cases increased from 5 cases in 2020 to 41 cases in 2024 – a 720% increase – prompting recommendations for stronger child-resistant packaging, safe storage education, and additional product safety measures.
And for younger children, the FDA documented that 82% of unintentional delta-8 THC exposures reported to poison control centers affected pediatric patients.
Congress closed the loophole last November, and enforcement is set to begin this coming November. That was the right decision.
Now the Senate is considering reversing this decision , but keeping the loophole closed must be separate from conversations about regulation of hemp for textiles, CBD, or other purposes. Simply reopening the loophole would further embolden the foreign actors and domestic bad actors who have exploited our communities. I urge Senator Paul and his colleagues to reject any effort to reopen the loophole and put our children and communities in harm’s way.
