Should SC ban intoxicating hemp products? Take our poll and tell us what you think
Some drink a THC seltzer at a Columbia bar instead of alcohol. A disabled veteran may use hemp gummies for relief. Other South Carolinians are starting small businesses selling and producing hemp-derived THC products.
Seltzers, gummies and other consumables that can give someone a high from hemp-derived THC are currently legal and widely available in South Carolina. Lawmakers hope to restrict some access to the products this year to keep them away from children.
South Carolina’s THC industry has grown since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized production of hemp nationwide, as long as it does not more than 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol of its dry weight. That’s the chemical compound in marijuana that gives consumers a high. Marijuana, which contains more THC than hemp plants, is illegal in South Carolina for all uses.
The THC found in legal drinks sold in South Carolina come from the hemp legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill. The seltzers, which can make drinkers high, are sold in gas stations, bars, restaurants and grocery stores around the state. The products aren’t regulated, however, so they could be untested or sold to children.
This year, South Carolina lawmakers want to regulate or ban these intoxicating hemp products, including THC seltzers and gummies. One bill, which has been making its way through the Senate, would ban all high-inducing consumables besides some low-dose drinks. It will also restrict the drinks to adults 21 and over and create new packaging and testing requirements.
But completely banning the drinks, which are on bar and restaurant menus, is also on the table for senators, who may begin debating regulations this week.
“This is something that has to happen,” said state Sen. Michael Johnson, R-York, during a hearing on the bill. “I’m going to preface: The legislature, this year, either needs to ban all of these products, period, or we need to regulate all of these products.”
The state House has also debated their own dueling regulations, which includes either narrow regulations or a complete ban.
State legislation may be irrelevant in less than a year if a provision included into the deal to end the government shutdown in November goes into effect. The provision bans products with more than 0.4 milligrams in the total package, which would apply to most products.
What do you think? Should South Carolina ban all hemp-derived THC products? The poll is not scientific and anonymous.
Have any experience with or additional information about legal intoxicating hemp products in South Carolina? Reach out to me at lvaleski@thestate.com.