South Carolina Bid to Regulate Intoxicating Hemp Products Dies In House

The South Carolina House of Representatives last Thursday rejected a compromise proposal overwhelmingly passed by the Senate to create rules covering hemp-derived THC beverage sales, WPDE reports.

With the vote, state lawmakers’ effort to regulate hemp products is likely dead for the session.

The Senate-approved plan would have created an age limit of 21 and older for intoxicating hemp products, restricted product sales to liquor stores, created potency caps, and set lab testing and product labeling requirements.

The proposal was heavily opposed by the hemp industry, which argued that the changes would push thousands of small businesses out of business.

Currently, there are no rules in South Carolina covering the sale of hemp-derived products. That is likely to change this November, however, when new federal regulations to ban hemp THC products are set to kick in.

The White House, which signed off on the rules in a spending bill adopted last November, recently urged Congress to either adopt regulations protecting the sale of certain hemp-derived cannabinoids or delay the hemp rules again.