New research is raising concerns about high potency cannabis, with increased THC levels contributing to addiction and adverse mental health effects. Fox News senior medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel said developing brains are especially vulnerable.

Siegel also challenged claims that cannabis helps with anxiety and depression, describing those assertions as often bogus. He connected stronger THC products with increased emergency room visits and warned about their consequences for mental health.

Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts, who represents Nebraska, served as the state’s governor from 2015 to 2023. During that period, he signed the Nebraska Hemp Farming Act, allowing industrial hemp to be grown, harvested, processed and marketed in Nebraska.

The state took that step to align its law with the 2018 Farm Bill and support Nebraska’s agricultural community. The federal legislation redefined hemp, removed it from the Controlled Substances Act and legally separated it from marijuana.

Hemp farmers had argued that their crop was a commodity and that removing its controlled substance classification would create economic opportunities. Congress agreed, Nebraska followed and, according to Ricketts, the outcome proved drastically different from what officials anticipated.

The Farm Bill created a loophole that enabled nationwide sales of unregulated, manufactured THC. Ricketts described THC as a highly addictive, mind altering drug and said businesses quickly exploited the opening created by the legislation.

Manufacturers commercialized delta-8 and delta-10 THC products, often packaging them to resemble popular candies, sodas and chips. The products spread into gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops across the country without an age restriction.

The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that more than one in 10 high school seniors have used hemp derived THC products. Teenagers remain especially vulnerable because their brains are still developing.

Ricketts said addiction can form more quickly among teenagers who use these higher potency drugs. Dependence or addiction can develop within months of first use, at nearly twice the rate seen among older adults.

THC drugs are also increasingly linked to IQ loss and significant mental health problems, according to the commentary. Those concerns include depression, suicidality, psychosis and anxiety, making continued access a public health threat.

Young children have faced dangers as well. In Omaha, a 3 year old and a 4 year old found and ate what appeared to be candy from their mother’s purse, consuming 1,500mg THC gummies branded identically to Sour Patch Kids.

Both children recovered after overdosing, but other cases have ended in tragedy. In Virginia, a 4 year old boy died after eating his mother’s THC gummies.

Reported accidental THC poisonings among children younger than 5 have increased by more than 1,000%. The National Institutes of Health directly links that surge with the growing availability of edible products designed to look and taste like candy.

Products that mimic commercial candy brands are rarely legally regulated or tested in laboratories. THC can also be distributed unevenly throughout a package, leaving a single piece with an unpredictable amount of the substance.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers has moved against THC drugs, earning praise from Ricketts for confronting the industry. At the federal level, a bipartisan group of senators voted last year to close the loophole and gave the industry until November 12, 2026, to comply with the new law.

That deadline was later delayed after enough senators joined together in August. Ricketts called the delay a mistake that gave a multibillion dollar industry more time to profit while children and communities remained exposed.

November 12 should have marked the day Congress officially protected Americans from dangerous THC products, he argued. Instead, Ricketts is urging the Senate, upon its return to Washington, to ensure the loophole is finally closed once and for all.

---

Are you feeling overwhelmed or hopeless right now? Have you been withdrawing from people or activities you usually enjoy? Are you having thoughts about hurting yourself, or feeling like things will never improve?

You do not have to handle those feelings alone. Support is available, and talking to someone can make a difference. You can reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or by chatting online at 988lifeline.org. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day to listen and help.

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call emergency services right away. Even a small step, like reaching out to a trusted friend, family member, or professional, can help create a path forward.