COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is expected to announce efforts to regulate a substance commonly sold in CBD stores on Wednesday.

DeWine will be joined by officials from the departments of public safety and health for a 3 p.m. news conference in Columbus to discuss Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, a psychoactive substance found in the Cannabis sativa plant, of which marijuana and hemp are two varieties.

According to the governor's office, DeWine will discuss what he describes as the dangers of intoxicating hemp and its impact on children. 

Delta-8 THC is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced naturally by the cannabis plant but is not found in significant amounts in the cannabis plant. As a result, concentrated amounts of delta-8 THC are typically manufactured from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD).

According to the Food and Drug Administration, delta-8 THC products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use and may be marketed in ways that put public health at risk.

Although the FDA says Delta-8 should especially be kept out of reach of children and pets, the recently enacted Federal Farm Bill provided a loophole allowing its sale without regulation.

At a recent news conference, DeWine expressed concerns about Ohio having no laws prohibiting children from purchasing Delta-8.

The FDA has expressed concerns regarding variability in Delta-8 formulations and product labeling, cannabinoid content, and variable delta-8 THC concentrations.

Additionally, the FDA says some Delta-8 products may be labeled simply as "hemp products," which may mislead consumers who associate "hemp" with "non-psychoactive" products.

Although some products containing delta-8 THC are marketed for therapeutic or medical uses, they have not been approved by the FDA.

The FDA received 104 reports of adverse events in patients who consumed delta-8 THC products between December 1, 2020, and February 28, 2022. Of these 104 adverse event reports:

• 77% involved adults, 8% involved pediatric patients less than 18 years of age, and 15% did not report age.
• 55% required intervention (e.g., evaluation by emergency medical services) or hospital admission.
• 66% described adverse events after ingestion of delta-8 THC-containing food products (e.g., brownies, gummies).
• Adverse events included, but were not limited to, hallucinations, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
• National poison control centers received 2,362 exposure cases of delta-8 THC products between January 1, 2021 (i.e., date that delta-8 THC product code was added to database), and February 28, 2022. Of the 2,362 exposure cases:
• 58% involved adults, 41% involved pediatric patients less than 18 years of age, and 1% did not report age.
• 40% involved unintentional exposure to delta-8 THC, and 82% of these unintentional exposures affected pediatric patients.
• 70% required health care facility evaluation, of which 8% resulted in admission to a critical care unit; 45% of patients requiring health care facility evaluation were pediatric patients.
• One pediatric case was coded with a medical outcome of death.

Dr. Gary Wenk, Emeritus Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at the Ohio State University and Medical Center and has researched Delta-8, is expected to speak at Wednesday's news conference.