“That hemp looks too much like weed…let’s ban it!”
That’s what lawmakers are saying in the Tar Heel State. In spite of the hemp pilot program launched in 2015 and the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized hemp products, lawmakers are considering a move to ban smokable flower products in North Carolina, citing the resemblance the two substances share to one another. Law enforcement agencies are having a difficult time distinguishing between hemp and marijuana flower, leading to a drop in prosecution of cannabis offenses nationwide.
The News and Observer reports that the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear the facts of the case today. Farmers are outraged. Many have already invested serious capital in flower processing equipment in anticipation of harvest this fall. Says Fen Rascoe, “This is the most anti-farmer legislation in the General Assembly in 100 years. Nobody has thought of the North Carolina farmer.”
Cops fear hemp is a gateway drug. “none of you want your children to get hooked on other drugs,” said Martin County Sheriff Tim Manning.
Sorry , Sheriff Manning, time to find a new argument. That one is feeling sort of tired.
What are your thoughts on this hearing? What could the ripple effects be for our industry? Are you a North Carolina farmer, retailer or resident that could be impacted? How? @memberdirectory, how could this come back to bite lawmakers?
Here’s an article from the local news outlet to learn more:
@jonw you are in Arkansas, we have seen your state get off to, let’s call it a “shaky” start with its MMJ program. What fears do you and fellow farmers share in regards to the actions taken in other states that have enacted or considered enacting hemp growing bans?
Shaky to say the least…we are the poster child for crappy MMJ rollouts. The biggest concern we have is with trying to grow a smokeable hemp flower and how law enforcement is using their inability to distinguish the 2 as a crutch to keep it from being a viable, marketable product. We have seen a demo of the GemmaCert handheld cannabinoid tester for THC and CBD which could be a possible solution however it only will test “dried” product. Eventually there will be a dependable tech that will provide them with the “on-site” testing they need so we can move ahead. If you haven’t seen the GemmaCert here is their website https://gemmacert.com/
Thanks for the GemmaCert link. We have seen a lot of new tech out there to test cannabis and drivers, terps and THC, but there always seem to exist lingering questions about accuracy. When a person’s freedom or a farmer’s livelihood depends on the accuracy of these tests, there is no room to gamble, IMHO.
Hopefully the scene improves in AR rapidly, @jonw.
