South Carolina Lawmakers Should Pass Hemp Legislation That Smartly Regulates Products (Op-Ed)

“South Carolina can take an important step forward on regulating the hemp industry, protecting our families and ensuring access to these products.”

By David Spang, Coastal Green Welless via South Carolina Daily Gazette

In South Carolina, the hemp industry is at a crossroads.

Without sensible regulation for the sale of hemp and hemp-derived products, we risk undercutting public safety, damaging industry credibility and putting South Carolina small businesses in jeopardy.

Current South Carolina law does not regulate products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids, aside from limiting delta-9 THC to 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis under federal law.

This gap has allowed a rapid increase in products, from gummies to vapes, with little to no oversight or guidelines.

Fortunately, there is a solution.

For the last several years, the South Carolina Healthy Alternatives Association has worked to develop a reasonable and responsible regulatory framework for the state’s hemp industry. As the legislative session opens in Columbia, an amendment to House Bill 3924 provides an opportunity to implement that framework.

With the support of numerous legislators, we believe this amendment will make the proposal the only legislation that accomplishes the goals of our industry, law enforcement, and most importantly, protects the public.

States around the country, including Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky have passed bills to responsibly regulate hemp and hemp-derived products in their states.

Additionally, last month’s White House order on reclassifying marijuana also gave clear direction on full-spectrum hemp, signaling further support for consumable hemp products.

It’s time South Carolina joined its peers, ensuring access to these products for people who have come to rely on them, and protecting small business owners and the public from bad actors.

In December, local, state and federal law enforcement conducted “Operation Ganjaprenuer,” a series of coordinated operations against criminals trafficking illegal drugs across South Carolina.

Unfortunately, these actions also impacted legitimate businesses selling legal hemp products across the state.

For those businesses, Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) called for exactly what is needed: a reasonably and responsibly regulated South Carolina hemp industry.

That means creating a framework for responsible regulations for hemp-derived consumable products to include the following:

• Limiting sales to individuals 21 and over

• Testing requirements to ensure safe and compliant products for consumers

• Packaging and labeling requirements

• Licenses for manufacturers, distributors/wholesalers and retailers

• Serving size restrictions

For responsible businesses trying to operate legitimately, the current patchwork of interpretations and inconsistent enforcement is unsustainable.

Business owners committed to doing things the right way are forced to compete with bad actors who cut corners, mislabel products or target minors.

South Carolina can take an important step forward on regulating the hemp industry, protecting our families and ensuring access to these products.

If we can amend H3294 with complete regulatory guidelines and send it to Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R) desk, we will ensure South Carolina catches up to the responsible regulations of our peer states.

This piece was first published by South Carolina Daily Gazette.

David Spang is the founder of Coastal Green Wellness, which sells hemp products. He’s also chairman of the South Carolina Healthy Alternatives Association, a group advocating for the responsible regulation of the hemp-derived products industry. A South Carolina native, he lives in Myrtle Beach.

Photo courtesy of Max Jackson.