WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Hemp farms are a growing trend in North Carolina.
At Honey bee Hemp Farms in Lewisville, owner Allen Pickett has been keeping an eye on House Bill 328 in the state legislature. A bill that would impact his industry.
“I think it’s positive that legislators in North Carolina are looking to clear the air as far as like, what hemp products can offered legally to consumers,” Pickett said.
In part, HB 328 would ban synthetic hemp products. Pickett grows organic hemp, so he won’t be affected but agrees there needs to be oversight.
“There’s really no regulation on the process of these synthesized chemicals and cannabinoids, the types of solvents or other means that their laboratories are using,” Pickett said.
The bill also sets new regulations on Delta-9 products, like a minimum purchase age of 21 and a limit on how much THC can be in them.
Jamie Bartholomaus, president of Foothills Brewing, sells Delta-9 drinks but worries this could hurt small shops.
“It could put a lot of cannabis stores, hemp shops out of business because the number of items they have would go away,” Bartholomaus said.
The bill also calls for child-safe packaging, something Bartholomaus said he already does.
“Being a producer of beer, we have to navigate that for all of our alcoholic beverages because there’s laws against, you know, catering to children for alcohol so, any brewery that makes this is kind of naturally inclined to stay with the safer packaging,” Bartholomaus said.
He takes issue with the proposed $25,000 license fee required if the bill were to become law.
“The fee takes a lot of the smaller players out where they can’t afford that, right? So, if it’s bigger companies that make a lot of the products, they’re gonna be able to pay the bill,” Bartholomaus said.
Pickett said as regulations shift, he’ll keep adapting, “I do believe that ultimately this type of thing will help make the hemp industry in North Carolina stronger and it’s a learning experience all the way through.”
The bill has cleared the senate, it now goes back to the house. If it’s approved and signed into law, it would go into effect next July.
