North Carolina may not have medical or recreational marijuana laws, but it was an earlier adopter of hemp agriculture. In fact, the Tarheel State passed its Industrial Hemp Pilot Program back in 2015 (aka Senate Bill 313). Although more North Carolinians have joined the hemp industry, there are some concerns state leaders may not keep CBD legal in the state.

If lawmakers in Raleigh don’t act fast, legal hemp may soon be a thing of the past in North Carolina. Anyone who sells, grows, or uses CBD in this Southern state must pay careful attention to the upcoming news.

Why Would CBD Hemp Be Illegal In North Carolina?

Even though the 2018 US Farm bill legalized hemp with ≤ 0.3 percent delta-9 THC, it allowed states to craft unique CBD laws. Although most states passed local ordinances in line with the 2018 US Farm Bill’s standards, a few chose to go their own way.

In North Carolina’s case, it kept the existing Senate Bill 313 in place with a few minor modifications. State leaders tried to clarify their stance on hemp with Senate Bill 315. Still, this law didn’t technically codify the new federal hemp standards. Instead, lawmakers have just kept extending Senate Bill 313…that is, until January of 2022.

Once 2022 began, North Carolina’s Industrial Hemp Pilot Program transferred testing rules to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). If North Carolina’s leaders don’t motion to extend the deadline for its current hemp laws, the state will revert to its pre-2015 definition of cannabis once June 30th rolls around. Before the NC Hemp Program, local leaders didn’t distinguish between marijuana and hemp — thus, CBD products would become illegal.

While this is concerning for many hemp shops and customers, there’s still time for leaders to keep this law intact. Indeed, once lawmakers return to office on May 18th, they will have roughly one month to clarify their CBD policy.

Many hemp lobbyists and governmental organizations have signaled they will push for clarity on NC’s CBD law. Most notably, the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said it “supports conforming state law with the federal definition of hemp.”

So, Is It Safe For North Carolinians To Buy CBD?

Unless North Carolina’s lawmakers ignore the deadline for the Hemp Pilot Program, it’s OK for residents to purchase hemp-derived CBD oils, topicals, and edibles. Whether there will be future restrictions on CBD depends on whether lawmakers approve a new law or extend the existing program.

However, it’s worth mentioning that hemp-derived CBD is now a federally-legal substance. So, even if North Carolina “bans” CBD, there’s a significant conflict with federal law.

Until June 30th, there’s no question that CBD hemp products are legal in North Carolina. In the future, locals must keep a close eye on how lawmakers respond to the looming hemp deadline in May and June.

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