Hemp-based products that contain intoxicating THC levels will remain on the shelves of some Mississippi businesses for at least another year after HB 1502 died this session.
Authored by State Rep. Lee Yancey (R), the bill would have made the sale of any product containing more than 0.3 THC in Mississippi illegal. He has introduced several bills in his legislative career to address the issue, but all have failed.
Yancey noted that it is far more difficult to get legislation through both chambers when a ban is involved.
Currently, hemp-based products can be sold in convenience stores and gas stations, among others, so long as the dry weight of the hemp had no more than 0.03 percent THC. HB 1502 would have also set limits on drinks made from hemp, which can currently be found in a variety of retail locations statewide. Hemp drinks would have been limited to maximum size of 12 ounces and the THC content would have been limited to 5 milligrams per can.
Yancey introduced the bill to close loopholes in the 2018 Farm Bill. While the hemp used to make these products may adhere to the 0.3 percent THC limit set forth in the Farm Bill, when harvested, post-harvest processes that involve heat and environmental conditions can be employed to increase that percentage, resulting in the end product having higher levels of the intoxicating substance, Yancey described.
