Intoxicating hemp products would be banned in Pennsylvania under changes added to a marijuana bill approved Monday by the Senate Law and Justice Committee.

The same committee also approved legislation that would create a special liquor permit for restaurants and bars in Philadelphia to stay open two extra hours during the World Cup and the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration.

Senate Law and Justice Committee Chair Daniel Laughlin, R-Erie, said the change would bar the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived THC products, including Delta 8-THC, Delta-10 THC and THCA. The amendment was approved by a bipartisan 10-1 vote with only Sen. Dawn Keefer, R-York, opposed.

The products were made illegal federally in November when President Donald Trump signed legislation cracking down on intoxicating hemp products. Intoxicating hemp products have been widely available since the 2018 Farm Bill relaxed restrictions on the use of hemp. The products have become increasingly controversial as more shops began selling hemp-derived vapes, edibles and other items.

The intoxicating hemp product ban was added to Senate Bill 49, which is mainly focused on establishing a cannabis control board to oversee the state’s marijuana industry. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program is run by the Department of Health. The legislation would shift the program from the department to the new independent board. The oversight board would consist of three appointees selected by the governor, and one member appointed by the head of each of the four legislative caucuses.

If Pennsylvania legalizes adult recreational use of marijuana, the cannabis control board would oversee that program as well.

“We are seeing an explosion of unregulated hemp products being sold openly at gas stations, vape shops and convenience stores statewide,” Laughlin said. “These products are marketed with no known testing, labeling or age restrictions. This is a health risk and regulatory blind spot we can’t ignore any longer.”

The Law and Justice Committee held a hearing last year to shed light on the public safety risk posed by intoxicating hemp products in Pennsylvania — products derived from hemp legalized under the 2018 Federal Farm Bill.

“In Lancaster County, law enforcement has gone as far as conducting consent searches and confiscating several products, including vapes and edibles, then issuing warnings to remove the products from their shelves rather than face possible criminal charges,” Lancaster

County District Attorney Heather Adams said at that hearing. “Berks County law enforcement purchased a random assortment of products being sold and had each tested at the Pennsylvania State Police laboratory, which found that every product had THC levels exceeding the legal limit.”

At that hearing, proponents of an intoxicating hemp product ban pointed to national data showing that there were more than 10,000 poison center calls from 2021-2025 triggered by the ingestion of Delta 9-THC products. However, the most recent data cited by the poison center is from April 2025 when there were 85 poisoning incidents linked to Delta 9-THC. That was far fewer than the peak in March 2022 when there were almost 350 Delta 9-THC incidents reported to poison centers.

Laughlin said the intoxicating hemp ban has the support of a variety of special interest groups, among them: the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and Attorney General David Sunday.

Philadelphia America250 permits

Senate Bill 1218, introduced on Friday by Sen. Joseph Picozzi, R-Philadelphia, would allow restaurants and bars to remain open an extra two hours from June 11, 2026, to July 20, 2026.

The special permit will cost $500. To qualify for the permit, the staff of the bars or eateries must complete a training program aimed at protecting the safety of customers and workers.

SB 1218 was amended to change the definition of “historic distillery.” Under existing law, distilleries must have opened prior to 1875 to qualify for the designation. The change included in SB 1218 would allow distilleries established prior to 1885 to qualify. The change was championed by Sen. Christine Tartaglione, D-Philadelphia, who said the amendment will allow the Jacquin’s distillery in Philadelphia to be eligible for the designation.