Illinois cracking down on hemp-derived THC sales

A ban on hemp products goes into effect in one week. It's part of nationwide restrictions on intoxicating products. Joni Lum is live in Bucktown with more on how this industry is changing. Hey, Joni. Lauren, intoxicating hemp products can no longer be sold in retail stores or in breweries. Those products can only be sold in licensed dispensaries, the regulated dispensaries. And that industry is very happy to see this ban go into effect next week. The hemp ban in Illinois starts on November 12th. The federal ban starts a month later. Products are being reclassified as cannabis. State officials say the changes are to ensure product safety, consumer transparency, and consistent regulation across Illinois. The argument was that children could get intoxicating hemp products at stores and gas stations and end up in the hospital. Governor Pritzker said that hemp stores undercut Illinois' licensed cannabis businesses and the social equity businesses at the core of its cannabis industry. Ivy Hall, which has 10 stores in Illinois, is one of those social equity businesses. We also, again, have products that have been state tested, mandated, so that way we know what those active ingredients look like. We know what terpenes, what cannabinoids, what products were, when they were made from seed to sale. So we know when they were grown, when they were plucked, cultivated, packaged. All that information is readily available to the consumer where you would not find that at a smoke shop. Well, the hemp users say that the benefits they got from it were healthier, calmer and less expensive than cannabis. Some of the Chicago breweries that were making those THC drinks, they are unloading them or running sales right now, getting ready for that ban next week. Reporting live in Bucktown, I'm Joni Lum, Fox Chicago. Joni, thank you so much.