The outcome means people who’ve grown to enjoy those products will still be able to access them easily in the Bayou State — and businesses who began making and selling THC-infused snacks in recent years won’t have to shut their doors or dramatically alter which products they offer.
Yet the hemp industry and fans of its products didn’t get everything they hoped for: An amendment added to Miller’s bill would ban sales of THC-infused beverages in bars and restaurants, cutting off a popular alternative for those seeking a break from alcohol on a night out.
“We’re largely satisfied with the outcome. … This is a huge win for Louisiana,” said Joe Gerrity, CEO of New Orleans-based Crescent Canna, which makes and distributes THC-infused seltzers. But of the restaurant and bars amendment, he added, “the main impact will be on people who like to go out and enjoy themselves without consuming alcohol.”
Pressly and Miller filed their bills amid outcry over the proliferation of THC-infused gummies, seltzers and tinctures that appeared on Louisiana shelves in droves after lawmakers accidentally legalized them in recent years. Opponents of the industry have said they’re much too accessible and lack common-sense guardrails.
The fate of that industry hung in the balance of the legislative session’s final days as lawmakers spent much of the past week seeking a compromise. They first sought a medium between the two approaches by trying to amend Pressly’s SB 237 on the House floor Friday.
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