Hundreds of hemp industry advocates, including farmers, retailers, producers, and consumers, descended on the NC Legislative Building on August 4, packing hallways and meeting with legislators to urge them to vote no on the damaging bill. Our efforts paid off: House Speaker Destin Hall announced the bill will not receive a vote until after the November elections, and that he plans to assemble a group of House members to "figure out the right path forward." 

HB 328, which passed the NC Senate in early July, would have imposed a 0.4 milligram total-THC cap per container on finished hemp products, a threshold so low it would effectively eliminate roughly 95% of all consumable hemp products currently sold legally in North Carolina, including many non-intoxicating ones. More alarmingly, the bill would have locked these restrictions into state law regardless of what happens at the federal level. 

North Carolina's hemp economy is comprised of family farmers, producers, retailers, and other small businesses that together generate an estimated $3.2 billion annually and support approximately 16,000 jobs. 

"We are so thankful to everyone who came out and rallied with us to delay HB 328 from becoming law," said Tryon Distributing VP of Strategic Development and leading force behind the Regulate Don't Ruin campaign Melissa Johnston. "This bill would have decimated the North Carolina hemp industry, and I'm glad that our House of Representatives decided to table it until November." 

Johnston emphasized that the industry is not opposed to regulation, rather the opposite. "We want a lot of the same things that they do when it comes to products being sold: things like age gating to 21+, having clear labels, and being third-party lab tested," she said. 

Speaker Hall acknowledged after the session that there's broad agreement among House members that the current lack of regulation is unsustainable, particularly regarding access for minors. "Folks recognize that the current state of our law is not tenable," Hall told reporters. "The question is what to do about it." 

The hemp industry has consistently supported common-sense regulation, including age restrictions, marketing limitations, and product safety standards. Bills like SB 265, the Protecting Our Community Act, already offer a comprehensive regulatory framework that addresses these concerns without eliminating the industry entirely. 

 While this outcome represents a significant victory for the Regulate Don't Ruin campaign and the broader hemp community, Johnston cautioned that the fight is far from over. 

"While we are thrilled with Tuesday’s outcome, HB 328 is not dead, and we must continue to advocate for sensible hemp regulation," she said. "I am hopeful that our NC legislators will be able to work with us to craft meaningful legislation that will properly regulate these products. We would like to see a bill that will keep kids safe, while also allowing a marketplace for adults to have freedom and choice." 

We plan to continue mobilizing advocates and working with legislators in the months ahead to push for regulation that protects consumers, keeps products away from minors, and preserves North Carolina's thriving hemp economy. This includes supporting the Senate’s proposed Continuing Resolution (CR) at the federal level. Most importantly, the CR contains language that would extend the federal hemp ban until December 11, granting organizers an additional month to strategize and fight for these regulatory principles.