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Bill seeks to protect growing popularity of hemp products in North Carolina

Under state law, a pilot program allowing hemp based farming and sales is set to expire at the end of June.

Posted Updated
Legal hemp deadline looms for North Carolina
By
Cullen Browder
, WRAL anchor/reporter

A new bill filed Monday seeks to protect the growing popularity of hemp products in North Carolina. Hemp is defined has having 0.3% or less THC, meaning hemp-derived products don't contain enough THC to create the high typically associated with marijuana.

Under state law, a pilot program allowing hemp farming and sales is set to expire at the end of June.

That worries retailers and producers who’ve seen a sharp increase in the sale of CBD and other hemp based products.

The Farm Act of 2022 would keep those sales going even as the state considers legalizing medical marijuana.

"We at least wanted to protect the hemp industry we had set up in North Carolina. So, this gets us past that June 30 end date and align us with federal statue," said Sen. Mike Woodard (D-Durham).

"I think our pilot program proved how critical hemp is as a product to our growers and our producers," he said. "It's a great product and provides benefit to the agricultural industry."

Woodard supports both hemp and medical marijuana, which will be considered in a separate bill.

"I think it's a critical part of our agricultural industry now, and will only continue to be for our growers and producers and retailers. so this is definitely something we wanted to fix," he said.

Most North Carolina voters think medical and recreational marijuana use should be legalized in the state, according to results of a WRAL News poll.

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