Alert: Developments in IN & VA, and New Bills in Three States

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Indiana

Earlier this week, the Indiana House of Representatives passed SB 20, which re-legalizes the retail sale of craft hemp flower to persons 21 or older under strict controls. The bill also sets a 21-or-older age limit for popular products like delta-8. The bill is headed back to the Senate, where our friends at the Midwest Hemp Council (MHC) anticipate the common-sense hemp provisions of the bill being removed. Indiana’s legislative session doesn’t end for a few more weeks, so there’s still time to save SB 20’s important protections for hemp products. We congratulate the MWC for its work moving the bill, and we encourage Hemp Supporters to use our State Action Center to urge Senators to pass the House’s version.

Help Support SB 20

Virginia

Unfortunately, the Virginia legislature agreed to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s amendments to SB 903. The amended version, which sets THC limits that will effectively eliminate most non-intoxicating full spectrum products, will become law. But the new law may soon become the subject of a lawsuit. If you are interested in supporting a legal challenge to the law, please contact Jason Amatucci at the Virginia Hemp Coalition. It’s more important than ever to make sure that unfair restrictions against hemp products don’t permeate the rest of the country.

North Dakota

New bills in two states are worth monitoring. North Dakota SB 2096, although it would allow the sale of hemp commodities and products, would limit tinctures to 30ml and require them to have at least 25% of denatured-alcohol. The bill would further require hemp commodities and products to comply with the federal Food and Drug Act and would prohibit the sale of non-FDA-approved hemp-derived products as dietary supplements or food or beverages. The bill would also prohibit a hemp commodity or product from containing chemically derived cannabinoids or delta-8. Please use our State Action Center to urge legislators to oppose SB 2096.

Help Oppose SB 2096

Louisiana

In Louisiana, where the legislative session just started, HB 605 would require tamper-evident packaging for consumable hemp products, among other requirements. A consumable hemp product could not contain a synthetically-derived cannabinoid or cannabinoid that does not naturally occur in hemp. Regardless of product type, a consumable hemp product package would be limited to a total of 20 servings. Please use our State Action Center to urge legislators to oppose HB 605.

Help Oppose HB 605

South Dakota

A third state—South Dakota—presents a positive opportunity. HB 1226 directs the Department of Health to establish labeling, marketing, packaging, and testing requirements for delta-8 and delta-10 products. Please use our State Action Center to urge lawmakers to support HB 1226 and follow Kentucky’s model — let’s strictly regulate intoxicating products and ensure that they are kept out of the hands of children.

Help Support HB 1226