It’s a budding business. A law that makes the sale of hemp products legal in North Carolina is about to expire — but appears to have avoided a shutdown, as the General Assembly gave its final approval Wednesday to legislation that would make its products permanently exempt from the state’s controlled substances law.
Right now, thousands of hemp-based products are sold in North Carolina. Businesses say they’re frustrated and unsure of what’s going to happen next.
“There is a misconception out there of this product,” Blake Wofford, co-owner of The Carolina Hemp Cabinet, said.
Hemp-related products sold in North Carolina must contain 0.3% or less of THC, the element that gets consumers high. The plant’s production and distribution were legalized several years ago.
North Carolina made hemp legal back in 2015, through a pilot program, which is set to expire June 30, which would make hemp illegal in the Tar Heel State.
“It will definitely be a hard pill to swallow,” Wofford said.
Wofford said if hemp becomes illegal, they’ll have other products to sell. Regardless, it would hurt their business and their customers.
“I would say half of our customers at least, are medicinal, and they’ve been using it for a while and now they wouldn’t be able to get it, so it’s a concern for everyone,” Wofford said.
The Senate voted 41-2 for a House measure that means the production and sale of industrial hemp and products derived from hemp like CBD can still be lawful. The bill now goes to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk for his expected signature.
READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/hemp-could-become-illegal-north-carolina/275-fe1d8211-dc0c-42b8-9176-74f849a408cd
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