New Virginia Bill Aims to Support CBD Retailers
On February 8, 2025, the Virginia Senate passed a bill with a large majority that removes a $1,000 fee charged to CBD retailers. They are required to pay the fee whenever they sell their products offsite, such as at community events, fairs, and farmers’ markets. Senate Bill 1483 applies to any temporary location where a CBD retailer may choose to sell products.
Retailers pay a non-refundable fee to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Hemp Enforcement for the right to sell CBD products in a fixed store location. When they want to sell products at a fair, farmer’s market, or other area that is not a brick-and-mortar store, the retailers must pay another $1,000.
If the additional sum remains, many CBD retailers cannot continue selling their products at local events. Any that count on the sales could have difficulty keeping their fixed location business open.
Senate Bill 1483 does eliminate the event fee but adds some requirements. One is that the CBD retailers planning on selling at temporary events must notify the state Commissioner of the location where regulated hemp products or a “substance intended for human consumption, orally or by inhalation, that is advertised or labeled as containing an industrial hemp-derived cannabinoid” will be sold.
The Virginia Senate Bill now goes to the Virginia House of Delegates. There are a few days during which each legislative house considers the other body’s version of the bill. Then a vote is taken. Hopefully, the bill will be passed before time runs out. The last day for considering budget and revenue bills was Wednesday, February 12, 2025.
Many states passed restrictive legislation concerning the sale of hemp products, and many are finding they need to backtrack to some degree. Entrepreneurs have invested a lot of money in their CBD businesses based on federal and state laws, and new laws often threaten their ability to stay in business.
There are legitimate concerns about CBD producers making and selling products with synthetic THC and harmful compounds or mislabeling products. Unfortunately, when new laws addressing these issues are passed, reputable businesses are often harmed.
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