Charlotte's Hemp Shelves Have About Three Months Left | CLT Daily

Description

A federal ban scheduled for November would drop the allowable THC in hemp products to 0.4 milligrams per container — wiping out roughly 99.5% of what's currently sold in North Carolina. Bottle shops, breweries, corner stores, and the hemp retailers that didn't exist five years ago. Senator Ted Budd is pushing to keep it on schedule, citing children and candy-like packaging. The industry says it agrees about age limits and objects to elimination. Meanwhile North Carolina's own bill sits unfinished until the legislature returns November 16. That makes four separate November deadlines this show has covered in eight days. Plus: Charlotte weighs e-bike rules, and CMS starts in 15 days with its superintendent still on leave.

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: WFAE, WRAL, Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Talks.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Before the news, something better. Charlotte FC goes for a third straight win over a Mexican club tomorrow night. And next weekend, Uptown belongs to Pride. Both at the end. But first, this is CLT Daily. I'm Steve Baboulis. It's Monday, August 10th, your independent daily briefing for the Queen City. Today, a whole retail category in this state has about three months to live. and nobody has decided whether to save it. I'm talking about intoxicating hemp. The THC drinks, gummies, and full-spectrum CBD products that have quietly filled Charlotte shelves the last few years. Bottle shops, breweries, corner stores, hemp stores that didn't exist five years ago. A federal ban is scheduled to take effect in November. It drops the allowable THC to 0.4 milligrams. per container. Sounds technical. What it means is that roughly 99.5% of the hemp products sold in North Carolina would become illegal. Not restricted, not age-gated, gone. The Trump administration is backing a bill to delay that by a month. North Carolina's own Senator Ted Budd is pushing to keep it on schedule. On the Senate floor, he said, quote, I'm not going to back down on this. I'm not going to waver. His argument and Mitch McConnell's is about children. Products packaged like candy, sold where kids can reach them, and arise in emergency room visits for children who've eaten them. That's a real concern, and I won't waive it away. The industry's answer is that they agree about age limits. Adrian Larea, who co-founded Hayes Beverages, said, The entire industry is 100% on the same page. about age restrictions. Their objection isn't to rules. It's that this isn't a rule, it's an ending. Listen to what that sounds like from the inside. Riley Dunn owns Groove Wagon. Quote, House Bill 328 just ends my business come November. If this bill passes, we're ended basically overnight. Dana Ryder co-owns Other Side Hemp in Buncombe County, where the family farm grows smokable hemp. Quote, we can't really pivot, right? We would not be around anymore, basically. Now, the second half, and this is the part that should sound familiar. North Carolina has its own version. House Bill 328. The Senate passed it last month. Speaker Destin Hall declined to bring it to a vote before recess. And then, as I told you Saturday, the legislature adjourned. They don't vote again until November 16th. So the state bill waits until November. The federal ban lands in November. Whether either takes effect, gets delayed, or gets softened is genuinely unresolved. And notice something. This is the 4th November deadline I've mentioned on this show in eight days. Duke Energy's rate case is decided in November. The legislature returns November 16th with a stack of unfinished bills. The hemp ban lands in November. Charlotte's $64 million I-77 decision comes due five weeks before all of it. That's not a conspiracy. calendars collide. But a remarkable amount of what happens to this state gets settled in about a four-week window, mostly by people who aren't in session yet. One honest gap, the owners I quoted are in Durham and Buncombe County. I haven't talked to a Charlotte shop yet. That's a call I should make, and I will. All right, here's what else you need to know today. Charlotte is looking at rules for e-bikes. The concern from police is that much of what's sold as an e-bike Thank you. is functionally a motorcycle without pedals. CMPD, Captain Jeremiah Blow, described a 12-year-old riding one-at-one in the morning. Council member Dante Anderson asked staff for recommendations, including a definition separating a bicycle from a motorbike. No ordinance yet. No vote scheduled. And the clock we've been keeping. CMS starts in 15 days. Superintendent Crystal Hill is still on paid leave. The board still hasn't said what the investigation is about. And it still hasn't set a date for the update it promised before school begins. Now, as promised, Charlotte FC hosts Pachuca tomorrow at 7.30 after beating Pumas 3-0 and Atlas 2-0 this past week. Three Liga MX clubs in eight days, and they've won the first two. And Charlotte Pride takes Uptown Saturday and Sunday free. Full preview with times and the route later this week. That's CLT Daily. For Monday, August 10th, I'm Steve Baboulis. We'll be back tomorrow, same time, same city. Until then, Charlotte, take care of each other.

Description

CLT Daily — Charlotte's independent daily briefing. New episodes every morning. cltdaily.com

Sources this episode: WFAE, WRAL, Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Talks.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Before the news, something better. Charlotte FC goes for a third straight win over a Mexican club tomorrow night. And next weekend, Uptown belongs to Pride. Both at the end. But first, this is CLT Daily. I'm Steve Baboulis. It's Monday, August 10th, your independent daily briefing for the Queen City. Today, a whole retail category in this state has about three months to live. and nobody has decided whether to save it. I'm talking about intoxicating hemp. The THC drinks, gummies, and full-spectrum CBD products that have quietly filled Charlotte shelves the last few years. Bottle shops, breweries, corner stores, hemp stores that didn't exist five years ago. A federal ban is scheduled to take effect in November. It drops the allowable THC to 0.4 milligrams. per container. Sounds technical. What it means is that roughly 99.5% of the hemp products sold in North Carolina would become illegal. Not restricted, not age-gated, gone. The Trump administration is backing a bill to delay that by a month. North Carolina's own Senator Ted Budd is pushing to keep it on schedule. On the Senate floor, he said, quote, I'm not going to back down on this. I'm not going to waver. His argument and Mitch McConnell's is about children. Products packaged like candy, sold where kids can reach them, and arise in emergency room visits for children who've eaten them. That's a real concern, and I won't waive it away. The industry's answer is that they agree about age limits. Adrian Larea, who co-founded Hayes Beverages, said, The entire industry is 100% on the same page. about age restrictions. Their objection isn't to rules. It's that this isn't a rule, it's an ending. Listen to what that sounds like from the inside. Riley Dunn owns Groove Wagon. Quote, House Bill 328 just ends my business come November. If this bill passes, we're ended basically overnight. Dana Ryder co-owns Other Side Hemp in Buncombe County, where the family farm grows smokable hemp. Quote, we can't really pivot, right? We would not be around anymore, basically. Now, the second half, and this is the part that should sound familiar. North Carolina has its own version. House Bill 328. The Senate passed it last month. Speaker Destin Hall declined to bring it to a vote before recess. And then, as I told you Saturday, the legislature adjourned. They don't vote again until November 16th. So the state bill waits until November. The federal ban lands in November. Whether either takes effect, gets delayed, or gets softened is genuinely unresolved. And notice something. This is the 4th November deadline I've mentioned on this show in eight days. Duke Energy's rate case is decided in November. The legislature returns November 16th with a stack of unfinished bills. The hemp ban lands in November. Charlotte's $64 million I-77 decision comes due five weeks before all of it. That's not a conspiracy. calendars collide. But a remarkable amount of what happens to this state gets settled in about a four-week window, mostly by people who aren't in session yet. One honest gap, the owners I quoted are in Durham and Buncombe County. I haven't talked to a Charlotte shop yet. That's a call I should make, and I will. All right, here's what else you need to know today. Charlotte is looking at rules for e-bikes. The concern from police is that much of what's sold as an e-bike Thank you. is functionally a motorcycle without pedals. CMPD, Captain Jeremiah Blow, described a 12-year-old riding one-at-one in the morning. Council member Dante Anderson asked staff for recommendations, including a definition separating a bicycle from a motorbike. No ordinance yet. No vote scheduled. And the clock we've been keeping. CMS starts in 15 days. Superintendent Crystal Hill is still on paid leave. The board still hasn't said what the investigation is about. And it still hasn't set a date for the update it promised before school begins. Now, as promised, Charlotte FC hosts Pachuca tomorrow at 7.30 after beating Pumas 3-0 and Atlas 2-0 this past week. Three Liga MX clubs in eight days, and they've won the first two. And Charlotte Pride takes Uptown Saturday and Sunday free. Full preview with times and the route later this week. That's CLT Daily. For Monday, August 10th, I'm Steve Baboulis. We'll be back tomorrow, same time, same city. Until then, Charlotte, take care of each other.

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