To the Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives: 

Subject: VOTE NO on House Bill 328 & Preserve Regulated Hemp Products for Adults/Patients 21+ in North Carolina

We, the undersigned resident's, business owners, veterans, patients, and advocates across the State of North Carolina, respectfully submit this petition urging our elected leaders in the House of Representatives to VOTE NO on House Bill 328 & maintain the legality of properly regulated hemp & hemp-derived products for adults & patients aged 21 and older.

North Carolina does not currently provide access to medical or recreational cannabis, so for many residents—especially veterans, cancer patients, individuals with chronic pain, seizures & other debilitating diseases, and those seeking safe alternatives to pharmaceuticals—regulated hemp products offer safe, effective & legal options for relief and wellness support for responsible North Carolina residence age 21 and over.  Prohibition will only create a greater demand for black market & out of state products and will cause greater harm to this great state.

Together we can work to create a solution that keeps children protected, retains jobs, protects our farmers, provides continued tax revenue and allows adults access to a product that significantly improves their quality of life. 

Every member of this General Assembly shares the same objective:

*Keep intoxicating hemp products out of the hands of minors. 
The disagreement is not about protecting children. 
The disagreement is about whether the best solution is targeted regulation or broad prohibition. 
North Carolina has an opportunity to become a national model by regulating hemp responsibly rather than eliminating an entire agricultural, health, research & retail industry.

A regulatory framework would accomplish the Legislature's stated goals while preserving thousands of jobs, supporting family farms, protecting veterans and patients, and maintaining millions of dollars in community/state tax revenue. 

Today, the overwhelming majority of licensed hemp retailers in North Carolina already: 
*refuse sales to anyone under 21  
*verify government-issued identification  
*educate customers  
*sell lab-tested products  
*operate professionally & give back to their communities

 
Like every industry, a handful of bad actors exist. 
Those bad actors—not compliant businesses—should be the focus of enforcement. 
Closing hundreds of responsible businesses because a few bad apples is equivalent to closing every pharmacy because one store sold medicine improperly. A Better Solution: Regulation Not Prohibition.

North Carolina can adopt a comprehensive regulatory framework that includes:

*Mandatory 21+ Sales

*Require all intoxicating hemp-derived consumable products to be sold only to adults 21 years of age or older.

*Require electronic ID verification.

*Require every hemp retailer and manufacturer to obtain a North Carolina license.

*Require independent third-party laboratory testing for:

-pesticides
-heavy metals
-mold
-residual solvents
-cannabinoids & potency
Every product should include a QR code linking directly to laboratory results.

*Require:

-child-resistant packaging
-tamper-evident seals
-no cartoon characters
-no imitation candy packaging
-no marketing directed toward children

*Create severe penalties for businesses that sell to minors. 

 

1.  If hemp & hemp-derived products are banned, demand will not go away—consumers will instead turn to unregulated, untested, and unsafe sources, putting public health at far greater risk.
Maintaining a legal, controlled market is the best method of ensuring safety, responsible use, and age verification.

2. North Carolina’s hemp industry supports:

* 15 Thousand jobs

*Small family farms

*Retail Stores

*Distributors, manufacturers, and testing laboratories

Banning hemp products would cause widespread layoffs, shutter businesses, and damage NC’s agricultural and economic landscape.

3. Regulated hemp product sales generate significant sales tax revenue for North Carolina. 
A ban would eliminate this revenue and force consumers to buy unregulated products outside the state or from illicit markets—neither of which contribute to public funds.

4. North Carolina veterans face some of the highest rates of PTSD, chronic pain, and disability in the country.
Because NC does not offer a medical cannabis program, many veterans rely on legal CBD, hemp & hemp-derived products for relief.
Removing access harms those who have served our country and are seeking safe, legal, non-pharmaceutical options. Cancer patients 21+ also rely on Full Spectrum CBD, hemp & hemp-derived products to assist with symptoms such as nausea, pain & loss of appetite due to the side effects of chemotherapy. 

Although hemp products are not approved by the FDA to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease, many NC adults 21+ report using hemp & hemp-derived products to help manage symptoms such as chronic pain, sleep problems, anxiety, and nausea.

5. North Carolina can uphold responsible regulation—including:

*21+ age limits

*Rigorous Lab testing

*Packaging and purity standards

*Clear dosing and labeling requirements

 

By keeping hemp legal and regulated, the state can continue to protect consumers without criminalizing adults or eliminating an entire industry.

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WE THE UNDERSIGNED REQUEST:

1. That policymakers reject any legislation such as HB 328 that would prohibit, ban, criminalize, or severely restrict lawful hemp commerce.

2. That the state enacts responsible regulation and age requirements rather than forcing consumers into unregulated and unsafe markets.

3. That the needs of veterans, patients, farmers & small businesses be prioritized in any policy decisions related to hemp.

North Carolina can regulate hemp in a safe, responsible, and economically beneficial manner.
A ban would harm consumers, businesses, veterans, patients and the state economy, while creating new public-safety risks.

We urge our elected House officials to protect regulated hemp access to citizen's 21+ and support North Carolina citizens, farmers, patients, veterans, and our agricultural and economic future.  VOTE NO on House Bill 328.