Next month, new federal restrictions that cap the potency of intoxicating THC products derived from hemp will go into effect, effectively ending an industry that sprung up across the nation, including in Indiana, eight years ago.
It all stems from the 2018 farm bill, which legalized industrial hemp.
Read more: A $28 billion hemp THC industry is fighting to save itself from federal ban
The intent was to open the door to a new cash crop for farmers — low-THC hemp can be used for its sturdy fiber, in food and other wellness products. While being the same plant, it differs from marijuana, which is cultivated for its flower and the high levels of THC they contain.
But by defining hemp as having less than 0.3 percent of delta-9 THC, it created a loophole the cannabis industry immediately took advantage of. They began producing beverages, edibles and other products that had less than 0.3 percent THC but were still strong enough to get people high.
A huge industry sprang up, with hemp THC products being sold in shops, gas stations and online, especially in states where marijuana remains illegal. The legal marijuana industry sees hemp and CBD products as competition and supported the language in the new farm bill that bans those products.
Read more: American hemp sellers prepare for a looming ban
But that means shop owners who rely on selling the low-dose hemp THC products will likely go out of business.
And Hoosiers who rely on those products will no longer have access to them. Indiana remains one of 10 states that do not have legal medical and/or recreational marijuana. But three of the four states that border it – Illinois, Michigan and Ohio – have legal recreational marijuana. And Kentucky has legalized marijuana for medicinal use.
Indiana doesn’t look like it will legalize marijuana in any form anytime soon, although Gov. Mike Braun signaled in the spring a willingness to do so after the federal government rescheduled medical marijuana to make it less restrictive.
Read more: Braun signals openness to marijuana legalization
On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll be talking about the expected impact of the ban on local hemp farmers and hemp-derived product business owners, and the legal landscape around regulation and legalization of cannabis at the state and federal levels.
Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0812 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send questions for the show to news@indianapublicmedia.org.
You can also record your questions and send them in through email.
Guests
Mike Halsema, Owner, Halsema Hemp Farm
Justin Swanson, Chair of the Cannabis Practice Group, Bose McKinney & Evans
