Massachusetts

‘Frankenstein-like chemical product’: Spread of hemp concoctions worries lawmakers

Published

6 months ago

June 11, 2024

‘Frankenstein-like chemical product’: Spread of hemp concoctions worries lawmakers

BOSTON ― The products have been appearing on the shelves of convenience stores, in gas station mini-marts and bodegas. Even liquor stores and restaurants seem to be selling hemp-infused seltzers, energy drinks, tinctures, chocolate bars, gummies and sugary treats masquerading as brand-name candies.

The often-intoxicating concoctions are smokable, vape-able, drinkable and edible: however they are not sold legally in Massachusetts.

Two legislative committees, the joint committees on agriculture and cannabis policy, met Tuesday, summoning public health officials, state agricultural experts and members of the Cannabis Control Commission to discuss the proliferation of the hemp products. They discussed changes in federal law that triggered the growth in the products, the lack of manufacturing and marketing oversight and what the state could do to address the risks they pose.

“It’s a Frankenstein-like chemical product,” said Kimberly Roy, a commissioner on the Cannabis Control Commission.

More: After state puts brakes on Hemp beverage sales, market is left in ‘state of uncertainty’

The experts were clear: it’s up to the Legislature to act. They suggested Massachusetts establish a state-funded and -run standards laboratory for testing suspect products, survey the state to determine which local departments of health need additional resources and shoring up, and set clear state standards for hemp products. They said businesses also need to be educated that the products are illegal in Massachusetts.

What’s at issue?

While hemp and marijuana are derived from the same plant, and products infused with hemp derivatives can be intoxicating, not all CBD- or hemp-infused products are intoxicating.
With manufacturing oversight lacking, products can be contaminated by unknown substances.
Solvents used to extract cannabinoids from hemp can be toxic.
Ingredient labels do not always match the substances in the products.
They are marketed and sold to all ages, including young children.
Only those growers, manufacturers, distributers and retailers who are licensed and regulated by the state can sell intoxicating cannabis products legally.

The proliferation of the products can be traced to the 2018 federal Farm Bill that removed hemp from the schedule of illegal substances, allowing its cultivation for industrial purposes, according to Cheryl Sbarra, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards. The plant is grown for its fiber and used to make rope, textiles and paper.

In removing the plant from the schedule of drugs, the federal government did limit the amount of THC, also called Delta 9, in a plant. Those containing less than 0.3% Delta 9 at harvest are considered hemp; plants with greater concentrations of the chemical compound are called marijuana.

In Massachusetts, the state Department of Agricultural Resources oversees the cultivation and harvest of hemp. The plant is tested for Delta 9 concentrations only at harvest. The Cannabis Control Commission oversees the cannabis industry.

Cannabis is tested for potency, for diverse contaminants from pesticide residues to heavy metals and molds. The state oversees the cultivation, harvest, manufacturing, product packaging, distribution and sales.

In contrast, manufacturers of hemp products, many working out of state, have no oversight at all.

Distillers can derive many different cannabinoids from marijuana, including Delta 8 and Delta 10. These can also be synthesized in a laboratory. That process uses solvents that can pose a health risk.

In analyzing hemp-infused substances, the CCC has found between 15 and 30 contaminants in products that analysts do not recognize.

“We don’t have names for them; we see the contaminants in the products, but we don’t know what they are; don’t know if they ever existed before,” Roy told the legislators.

Roy said she has heard from cannabis retailers who have invested at least $1 million in obtaining a state license and their dismay at seeing hemp-infused products, with Delta 8 and Delta 10 compounds, for sale online and at gas stations.

“There’s no testing, no advertising restrictions, no labeling and no tax benefit to the state,” Roy said.

Masquerading as candy

“There are new products being sold all the time,” said Maureen Buzby, tobacco control coordinator for the Melrose Board of Health.

Public health officials also complained of the lack of resources and overriding authority to address the proliferation of hemp products.

Licensed retailers, those selling tobacco or alcohol products, can be warned that they could lose their licenses if they don’t remove the products from their shelves. Places that sell prepared foods also require licenses.

But health officials’ hands are tied when it comes to stores selling self-stable food items.

“We’re talking Twinkies and Coke,” Sbarra said. “They don’t need a permit to sell those items in Massachusetts.”

State Department of Public Health Secretary Dr. Robert Goldstein suggested the Legislature work in coordination with the Cannabis Control Commission, the Department of Agricultural Resources and his own department to resolve jurisdictional issues.

Data indicate that ingested cannabis products can have different effects than smoked products, and can affect children differently than adults, Goldstein said. There have been instances of overdoses and a need for hospitalization of children younger than 10 for breathing support.

“They look like candy,” Goldstein said, and added, “what kid doesn’t want to grab a pack off the shelf at the Home Depot and put it in the cart?”

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Massachusetts

Updated snowfall forecast: Latest timeline, expected totals map for snow in Massachusetts

Published

3 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

Updated snowfall forecast: Latest timeline, expected totals map for snow in Massachusetts

Brace yourself! It’s back to winter in Massachusetts with snow in Friday’s forecast and a deep freeze this weekend.

Friday will be mostly cloudy and cool, but temperatures will drop through the afternoon and evening, increasing the chance for snowfall.

Bitter cold weather will follow the snow with arctic air gripping the region on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Latest snowfall timeline

A few ocean-effect sprinkles and flurries are possible during the day, although impacts will be low with no more than a patchy coating, Boston 25 Meteorologist Shiri Spear said in her latest forecast.

Steadier rain and snow will fill in around 4 p.m. and impact the evening commute.

“As things cool down, the chance for snow is going to grow and grow during the late afternoon and evening hours,” Spear said. “Some of the worse travel conditions are probably going to be during the evening.”

The snowfall should wrap up by midnight.

An isolated snow shower or flurries are still possible on Saturday, but most areas will be dry with more clouds than sunshine.

Expected snow totals

A widespread coating to an inch of snow is likely for much of Massachusetts.

The “jackpot” areas, including northeastern Massachusetts, the Merrimack Valley, MetroWest, and interior southeastern Massachusetts could see 1-2 inches.

“Some spots could locally go up to 3 inches,” Spear said.

Cape Cod and the Islands might be too mild for sticking, but flakes will be flying.

Arctic air arrives

Frigid temperatures with highs in the upper 20s and low 30s are on tap for Saturday.

Sunday will bring freezing sunshine with temperatures in the teens and 20s.

For the latest on the forecast, visit the Boston 25 Weather page.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

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Massachusetts

2 entangled right whales spotted off coast of Massachusetts

Published

11 hours ago

December 20, 2024

Press Room

2 entangled right whales spotted off coast of Massachusetts

As less than 350 North Atlantic Right Whales remain, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries are working on solutions to save the endangered species while keeping the fishing industry profitable. FOX Weather’s Katie Byrne with more on the efforts.

NANTUCKET, Mass. – Two endangered North Atlantic right whales have been spotted off Massachusetts with entanglements that could potentially be life-threatening to the massive mammals.

According to NOAA Fisheries, an aerial survey team recently spotted a pair of whales approximately 50 miles southeast of Nantucket on Dec. 9.

The smaller of the two marine animals was first sighted in 2021 and was seen free of gear as recently as April.

But now, the survey team said a thick rope was located over the whale’s head and back, which could cause its eventual death.

The larger whale, identified as an adult female, was last seen without gear as recently as July and, due to its size, is unlikely to be as significantly impacted as the juvenile.

“This whale has two lines exiting the left side of her mouth, with both lines extending a half to two thirds of the way down the body,” NOAA stated. “After reviewing the entanglement, NOAA Fisheries biologists have made a preliminary determination that it meets the Unusual Mortality Event criteria as a ‘morbidity’ (sublethal injury) case.”

North Atlantic right whale #5110 with a line wrapped around its body on December 9, 2024

(NOAA)

FIRST RIGHT WHALE CALF OF SEASON SPOTTED OFF SOUTHEAST COAST

Due to conditions and the distance to shore, NOAA entanglement response teams did not mount a response but stand at the ready should the occasion arise.

The agency estimates that over 85% of right whales are entangled in fishing gear at least once during their lifetime, which can cause serious injuries.

The marine animals tend to spend most of their time off the coast of Canada and the Northeast in the western Atlantic before migrating southward for the calving season.

The right whales are considered to be the 149th and 150th documented cases in the ongoing North Atlantic right whale Unusual Mortality Event (UME), which includes dead, seriously injured or health-compromised animals.

FLORIDA IDENTIFIES NEXT INVASIVE SPECIES THREAT

NOAA Fisheries estimates there are only around 370 North Atlantic right whales left in existence – down from a peak of around 20,000 during the late 1800s.

Since 2017, the species has been experiencing an Unusual Mortality Event, which has caused dozens to become sick, injured or ultimately pass away.

North Atlantic Right Whale Population

(NOAA)

“While entanglements remain the leading cause of death and injury, this year [2024] there were at least six vessel strike-related injuries/deaths, highlighting the importance of addressing this issue soon,” Heather Pettis, a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center and the chair of the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, previously stated. “The persistent aggregation of more than 50 right whales in the New York shipping lane this summer underscores this even further.”

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Massachusetts

After Massachusetts gets some snow, could there be a White Christmas?

Published

19 hours ago

December 19, 2024

Press Room

After Massachusetts gets some snow, could there be a White Christmas?

Are you dreaming of a White Christmas?

You could be in luck if you live in certain spots of the Bay State.

A few rounds of snow showers in the days leading up to Dec. 25 means there’s a “decent chance” for a White Christmas in parts of Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service’s Boston office.

The first round of snow is expected to come late Friday night into Saturday from an offshore coastal storm. Meteorologists are forecasting about 1 to 3 inches of snow, with the highest amounts across interior eastern Massachusetts.

“… Not expecting much in the way of impacts from this wintry system, more of a festive pre-Christmas snowfall that will drop anywhere from a coating to an inch or two from Friday into Saturday afternoon,” reads the National Weather Service’s forecast discussion.

Following the snow, get ready to bundle up. It will get downright frigid over the weekend.

“It will be one of the coldest air masses we’ve seen so far in the early portion of these winter months,” Andrew Loconto,a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Boston office, told the Herald.

High temps on Saturday will be around freezing, and then the coldest air will be on Sunday when high temps will be in the low 20s — with wind chills around 10 to 15. The wind chills Sunday night could drop to five below zero.

Temps Monday should rebound into the upper 20s before ticking up for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

But as far as precipitation goes for Christmas Eve and Day, there could be rain or snow depending on where you live. It’s looking more likely for rain in southeastern Massachusetts, and snowfall across the interior.

A White Christmas is defined as one inch of snow depth measured on Christmas morning.

“The areas with the best shot for an inch of snow is probably interior New England,” Loconto said. “There’s a decent chance (for a White Christmas) for those interior areas, and for northeastern Massachusetts.”

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