Just what Colorado’s kids need — another way to get high on THC. 

And another industry to make a buck off of it, backed by a new, well-oiled lobby peddling its influence at our THC-friendly State Capitol.

It’s all courtesy of a bill soon to be introduced in the legislature. It would raise — reportedly, by magnitudes — the percentage of the psychoactive ingredient that could be sold in so-called “hemp beverages” at bars, liquor stores, restaurants and even grocery and convenience stores. As long as the hemp-derived THC level stays under the newly enhanced, buzz-worthy limit in the pending legislation, the beverages wouldn’t even have to be regulated as marijuana is.

The bill’s anticipated sponsors, according to reports, include some of the ruling Democrats’ usual suspects when it comes to decriminalizing just about anything — state Sen. Julie Gonzales and state Rep. Steven Woodrow, both of Denver — as well as state Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista. But the bill itself was authored by the Colorado Hemp Beverage Coalition, formed by the upstart industry to grease the skids in state politics.

There’s some irony to it, though. The “old” pot lobby is pushing back at the new competition. Colorado’s pot peddlers have been facing a dip in revenue as it is. And they are crying foul at how the hemp-derived THC covered by the upcoming bill essentially is the same THC that’s in pot yet would enjoy more latitude in retail sales.

It’s hard to muster any sympathy for an industry as cynical as Big Marijuana, of course. If the hemp beverage bill passes into law, the more established pot purveyors no doubt will have to share their space in the marketplace with the new kids on the block.

But the fact the bill troubles the current pot trade comes as little consolation. What matters most is that THC — regardless of which plant it’s derived from — has done so much damage to Colorado’s children.

The drug’s role inducing assorted psychoses, especially in young people, is substantiated by mounting data from a growing body of medical research. THC is found in the bloodstream of alarming percentages of teen suicides in Colorado in recent years, as state vital statistics make clear. And the last thing Colorado teens need is another intoxicant on our hazardous roadways.

Congress legalized growing and selling hemp nationwide in 2018 on the premise its strength as a fiber is useful in manufacturing a wide range of goods. Colorado’s state law also has allowed for hemp production and sales, paralleling federal law. 

In 2023, following the recommendations of a state task force, the legislature clamped down on unintended federal loopholes that had allowed hemp’s THC to be used in intoxicating products. The state measure created a new regulatory framework that included a ban on the sale of hemp-derived products with more than 1.75 milligrams of THC per serving. That laudable stride cut at least one conduit of high-potency THC to Colorado’s youth. 

Now, that progress protecting our youth could be undone. The hemp beverage bill would be a reckless move and a big setback for Colorado’s youth. Curious and idle teens wouldn’t have to shoplift a beer from the corner convenience store; they could grab a hemp ale instead. 

Hemp as a crop makes sense for its industrial uses. But it must remain strictly regulated to curb the unintended consequences of its byproducts.

If the hemp beverage bill is introduced as expected, let’s hope more level-headed lawmakers send it straight to the legislative paper shredder.