“THC Is THC”: New Jersey Cannabis Regulator Explains Why The State Is Cracking Down On Hemp Products

By Nicolás Rodríguez, Managing Editor

New Jersey cannabis regulators are signaling a tougher stance on hemp products with cannabinoids such as THC, and Acting Executive Director of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission Christopher Riggs is making the agency’s position unusually clear.

In a new blog post on the official NJ.gov website, Riggs argued that hemp-derived THC products capable of intoxicating consumers should face the same rules as cannabis products sold in licensed dispensaries.

“THC is THC, and products that produce the same effects should be treated the same way,” Riggs wrote.

The essay offers a direct look into how New Jersey regulators are thinking about:

• intoxicating hemp products,
• consumer safety,
• youth access,
• and the growing conflict between licensed cannabis operators and unregulated hemp-derived THC markets.

According to Riggs, products capable of producing cannabis-like effects have been sold in gas stations and convenience stores without the testing, labeling, packaging, or age restrictions required in New Jersey’s regulated cannabis market.

“At the same time, a parallel marketplace developed where intoxicating THC products were sold with far fewer safeguards,” Riggs wrote.

The state’s new law, enacted earlier this year, reclassifies certain hemp-derived THC products as cannabis if they exceed THC limits or rely on synthetic or chemically altered cannabinoids. Those products must now move into New Jersey’s licensed cannabis system.

Riggs also confirmed that hemp-derived THC beverages currently operating in retail settings face a limited transition period.

“By November 2026, they will no longer be sold outside of New Jersey’s regulated cannabis marketplace,” he wrote.

For cannabis operators and investors, the piece may signal where regulators in other states are heading as the national debate around intoxicating hemp products accelerates.

“New Jersey voters supported legalization to create a safe, regulated marketplace—not a patchwork system where similar products are treated differently based on technical definitions,” Riggs wrote.