Pyrrhic Victory And Major Setbacks In Hemp Industry: New Jersey And California Rulings Stir Uncertainty For Stakeholders
Hemp regulation is among the most important regulation battles underway in the cannabis space at the moment. This ongoing conflict, which involves multiple stakeholders, has recently experienced various developments. Let’s review them.
In early October, hemp stakeholders faced significant challenges in both California and New Jersey as court rulings largely upheld strict regulations on intoxicating hemp products.
A federal judge in California ruled against hemp producers, affirming the state’s right to enforce emergency regulations that restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp substances, including synthetic products like delta-8 THC and HHC.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, hemp businesses gained a partial victory when a judge found parts of the state’s new law violated federal commerce regulations, but most of the law remains intact.
California’s Regulatory Win Puts Hemp On Notice
California’s hemp industry suffered a major defeat when Judge Stephen I. Goorvitch ruled in favor of the state’s emergency regulations aimed at controlling intoxicating hemp products.
The restrictions, enacted to protect young consumers, include bans on the sale of THC-containing products to those under 21 and limits on servings per package. Non-intoxicating CBD products, however, remain available for purchase.
The U.S. Hemp Roundtable which led the legal challenge, argued that the regulations would harm medicinal CBD users by limiting product …