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South Carolina Lawmakers Should Pass Hemp Legislation That Smartly Regulates Products (Op-Ed)

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5 months ago

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“South Carolina can take an important step forward in regulating the hemp industry, protecting our families and ensuring access to these products.”

By David Spang, Coastal Green Welles via South Carolina Daily Gazette

In South Carolina, the hemp industry is at a crossroads.

Without common sense regulations for the sale of hemp and hemp-derived products, we risk reducing public safety, damaging the industry’s credibility, and putting South Carolina’s small businesses at risk.

the current South Carolina law does not regulate products containing hemp-derived cannabinoidsin addition to limiting delta-9 THC to 0.3 percent by dry weight under federal law.

This gap has allowed the rapid expansion of products, from gummies to vapes, with little oversight or guidance.

Fortunately, there is a solution.

In recent years, the South Carolina Association of Healthy Alternatives has worked to develop a reasonable and responsible regulatory framework for the state’s hemp industry. As the legislature opens in Columbia, an amendment House Bill 3924 it allows to establish this framework.

With the support of many legislators, we believe this amendment will make it the only piece of legislation that meets the goals of protecting our industry, law enforcement and, most importantly, the public.

States across the country, including Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky, have passed bills to responsibly regulate hemp and hemp-derived products in their states.

Additionally, last month’s White House order to reclassify marijuana provided a clear direction on full-spectrum hemp, signaling more support for consumable hemp products.

It’s time for South Carolina to join its peers in ensuring access to these products for the people who have come to rely on them and protecting small business owners and the public from bad actors.

In December, local, state and federal law enforcement conducted “Operation Ganjaprenuer,” a series of coordinated operations against criminals trafficking illegal drugs in South Carolina.

Unfortunately, these actions also affected legitimate businesses across the state that sold legal hemp products.

For those businesses, Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) called for what is needed: a reasonably and responsibly regulated South Carolina hemp industry.

This means creating a framework for responsible regulation of hemp-derived consumer products to include:

  • Limit sales to persons over 21 years of age
  • Testing requirements to ensure safe and compliant products for consumers
  • Packaging and labeling requirements
  • Licenses for manufacturers, distributors/wholesalers and retailers
  • Server size limits

For responsible businesses trying to operate legally, current interpretations and inconsistent enforcement are unsustainable.

Business owners who are committed to doing things the right way are forced to compete with bad actors who cut corners, mislabel their products, or target minors.

South Carolina can take an important step forward in regulating the hemp industry, protecting our families and ensuring access to these products.

If we can amend H3294 with full regulatory guidelines and send it to Governor Henry McMaster’s (R) desk, we will ensure that South Carolina follows the responsible regulations of our peer states.

This article was first published by the South Carolina Daily Gazette.

David Spang is the founder of Coastal Green Wellness, which sells hemp products. He is also the president of the South Carolina Healthy Alternatives Association, a group that advocates for responsible regulation of the hemp-derived products industry. Born in South Carolina, lives in Myrtle Beach.

Max Jackson’s photo.

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Columbia hemp business Burning Acre to close and move to North Carolina over new Tennessee rules

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7 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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Burning Acre, a Columbia, Tennessee-based hemp company, says it will close its retail store and move operations to North Carolina ahead of new state regulations that take effect July 1, according to WSMV.

The business says its last day to open in Columbia will be June 30, the same day the Tennessee Department of Agriculture licenses for hemp-derived cannabinoids expire. As of July 1, businesses that continue to operate in the state will be required to be licensed under a new regulatory framework led by the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Burning Acre says the changes have forced it to abandon plans for a new sandwich shop and bakery and close its Tennessee retail operations and relocate to Murphy, North Carolina. “I won’t sugarcoat it, it’s a very hard video for me and a message I should never have written,” the business wrote.

The business puts the annual cost of manufacturing, distribution and running the retail store at about $750. Under the new rules, he says, those costs would rise by tens of thousands of dollars, citing new licensing fees, a required $25,000 annual bond and increased testing fees.

The law, which took effect in July, changes the regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid businesses from the Department of Agriculture to the ABC. The Department of Agriculture stopped issuing licenses at the end of 2025, and the licenses issued by the TDA will remain valid until June 30, 2026.

“Columbia, we absolutely love being a part of this community,” said Burning Acre. “We are truly heartbroken to have to say goodbye to this location.”

Read more at WSMV4










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North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Bill To Set A Minimum Age Limit For Hemp And Kratom Products

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7 hours ago

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June 14, 2026

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“Many other details about cannabis have been debated and will continue to be debated.”

By Christine Zhu, NC Newsline

Lawmakers in North Carolina are considering banning people under 21 from buying or possessing certain hemp-derived consumables, including combustible hemp flower, hemp cigarettes, gummies and drinks, or items that include the drug kratom.

The House Agriculture and Environment Committee approved a rewrite of Senate Bill 59 on Wednesday. This is the latest attempt by state legislators after years of proposals to regulate the sale of hemp products that didn’t work out in the end.

This measure would prohibit companies from selling such products to under-21s. If the seller has “reasonable grounds” to believe that the buyer is under the age of 21, the seller must verify the buyer’s ID.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin), who introduced the bill, said he was motivated to bring public attention to issues surrounding cannabis. He said there was a 14-year-old boy in his neighborhood who had an emergency after buying a hemp-derived product.

“There are a lot of other details about cannabis that have been debated and will continue to be debated, but ladies and gentlemen, to make sure we have the good sense to be agents of these kinds of issues, that’s the lowest hanging fruit,” he said.

Violators would face a Class 2 felony, as well as a fine of $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second offense and $1,500 for subsequent offenses.

asked Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford). of the bill language resulted in potential changes to hemp-derived products. It is common for manufacturers of synthetic recreational drugs to make changes to the chemical composition of their products to avoid legal bans or restrictions.

“I assume the definition as written is broad enough to capture any future manipulation of molecules,” he said. Dixon nodded.

Legislators also voted in favor correction To add kratom products to the under-21 ban.

Rep. Jeffrey McNeely (R-Iredell), who proposed the amendment, said it was necessary to add those elements to the bill.

“I’ve been working on this for quite some time, trying to get these bills passed,” McNeely said. “We definitely have a problem. So I’m hoping we can keep posting this and we’ll get something done before we get out of the short session here.”

Both the amendment and the legislation passed unanimously without debate.

The bill moves next to the House Rules Committee. Other amendments will be heard when they appear on the House floor, which could be as soon as next week.

This story was first published by NC Newsline.

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GreenTech Amsterdam 2026 in 2026 photos

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1 day ago

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June 13, 2026

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Well, it’s not 2026 photos, but with around 600 photos, we definitely did our best. For the past two days, the Netherlands has been the place to be for the global greenhouse industry. From Flower Trials for the horticulture sector, company visits to growers and technical suppliers, as well as dinners, get-togethers, drinks, knowledge sessions and much more. And of course with GreenTech Amsterdam.

The event brought together professionals from around the world to connect, network, share knowledge and do business.

Next week, we’ll be sharing more information on market developments, trends, what’s on display, news, business news, innovations and whatever else you can think of, but for now we’ll stick to photo reporting.

Click here for the photo report.

© Arlette Sijmonsma | MMJDaily.com










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