North Carolina Introduces Bill Banning Hemp Products to People Under 21

State representatives in the North Carolina House have introduced a bill that would ban the sale of hemp products to anyone under 21 years old. The law is intentionally simple in the hopes it can pass before the House adjourns. Previous bills introduced to regulate THC and hemp products have failed to pass, which is why this bill only addresses age.

The focus on hemp products is intended to prevent people under 21 years old from being able to purchase any products that can cause intoxication or present potential safety hazards. Children can currently buy unsafe products from various stores without showing any identification. Some have ended up in the hospital. The penalty in the proposed law for selling banned products to people under 21 is a misdemeanor.

Hemp products made with more than 0.3% THC or some of the synthetic THC compounds can be intoxicating. NC Representative Jimmy Dixon introduced the new NC bill, saying,

“There are a lot of other details surrounding cannabis that have been discussed, will continue to be discussed, but ladies and gentlemen, to be sure we’ve got the good sense to put an age limit on these types of products. That is the lowest-hanging fruit that is there.”

The intention is that NC state legislators will pass the proposed bill while continuing to discuss which regulations to include in future bills. Past bills introduced in the NC House or Senate to regulate hemp products have failed.

This situation in NC is found in other states as well. The lack of federal government regulations, the addition of intoxicating synthetic cannabinoids in products due to a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill, and fear of destroying a successful hemp and CBD industry are making it difficult for federal and state representatives and senators to come to an agreement. There does not seem to be a solution to end the confusion at this point.