SB 903: VA Holds Hemp Industry Hostage
We are meeting with the news
and We want to hear from you!
We are meeting with the news to discuss how SB 903 will negatively impact Virginians.
This law will not only make Delta-8 THC and other hemp derived products illegal but it will also make all full spectrum CBD products illegal. (The only thing we'd be allowed to sell is THC-Free products.)
We want to hear from our customers about their experience with hemp products. You may do so anonymously if you prefer.
Please tell us in your own words:
What does CBD and/or Delta-8 THC do for you, your family, friends, pets, etc?
How will this new law impact you?
Update: THANK YOU!
Thank you all for your responses. Some of these made us tear up.
As y’all know, we will be fine if we must close — we’ll find something else to do — but we really worry about what will happen if our customers no longer have access to the CBD products that help them.
What the heck is going on?
Confused? Me too, tbh. Check out these write-ups below from Virginia Hemp Coalition to get caught up on the crazy.
From Virginia Hemp Coalition on Sunday:
All we needed was 2 or 3 votes to kill the poorly written bill SB 903. Make no mistake, this monstrosity of a terrible bill for the hemp industry will make 3/4ths of the safe non intoxicating CBD products illegal in Virginia to sell - with all retailers in Virginia being held to $10,000 per day fines for not complying to the Virginia Governments dictates on selling no products that go above a trace amount of 2 MG of THC per ENTIRE package as well as a requirement for all CBD lotions, balms and lip balms to have a bittering agent. This is extremely more strict then the federal definition of hemp extract products and will certainly kill a sizable portion of the CBD and wellness product hemp industry in Virginia. Who wants to farm hemp, process hemp or retail hemp products in a State that treats them like this? We are hearing because of the politicians in our Commonwealth people are taking their investment to neighboring states. We are losing job creation and businesses development as we speak from the actions of certain politicians in Virginia.
We as an industry all want simple and clear regulations, labeling and testing requirements, that are fair and in line with other dietary supplements for CBD but what this bill does is completely destroy the Virginia hemp dietary supplement and cbd topicals industry.These Senators showed absolutely zero care to the hemp industry and hemp consumers by passing this bill. They showed zero care by not even attempting to amend the bill after being told from so many of us on what they were actually going to do with the overwhelming collateral damage on the passage of this bill:
Barker, Bell, Dunnavant, Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Hackworth, Hanger, Marsden, Mason, McDougle, Obenshain, Peake, Petersen, Pillion, Reeves, Ruff, Saslaw, Spruill, Stanley, Stuart, Vogel️THANK YOU to these Senators ️who voted to kill this destructive legislation even though it was not enough:
Boysko, Chase, Cosgrove, Deeds, DeSteph, Hashmi, Howell, Lewis, Locke, Lucas, McClellan, McPike, Morrissey, Newman, Norment, Rouse, Suetterlein, SurovellWe actually killed SB 903 in the sub-committee but Senator Favola with the help of Senator Spurill were successful in bringing the bill back and getting it passed on through to the floor for Senator Hanger.
It is now up to the Governor to see what he will do with the bill his administration wrote. He can veto it, amend it or sign it as is. We expect him to sign it but if he does without amending he will knowingly kill the Virginia hemp industry. If he does that we expect an extreme backlash this election cycle, lawsuits, and an enforcement nightmare for all parties involved.
The Governor must amend SB 903 greatly to protect family farmers and small businesses and investment and job creation into Virginia. If he does not then all his political rhetoric is just more hot air from the usual Corporate Politican that says one thing and then does another.
Link to bill:
Meanwhile…
the governor is in New York and it'd be safe to assume he's not talking about how to help out small hemp farmers & small CBD businesses...
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/youngkin-adviser-2024-race-trump-desantis-97501899
From the Virginia Hemp Coalition, quoting & commenting on this article:
"'An adviser to Youngkin confirmed he is scheduled to meet in New York City this week with Republican donors and political figures. The meetings were first reported by The New York Times.
Youngkin is a wealthy former private-equity executive who loaned his 2021 campaign $20 million and has business-world contacts he’d be able to draw on for campaign contributions.'
You can bet your bottom inflation riddled dollar he isn’t going to be talking about how to help the family farmers and small businesses of Virginia and how to boost jobs, the market and access to well made industrial hemp and safe and effective hemp wellness products for Virginians at this meeting of Wall Street / private equity donors in New York City."
Reach out to Glenn and tell him to do the right thing:
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/communicating-with-the-governors-office/
https://hempsupporter.com/state-action/va/virginia-help-oppose-sb-903-and-hb-2294
IMPORTANT: When contacting your reps: Include your address in your email! This will increase the chances of them reading and considering your message.
Follow Virginia Hemp Coalition:
From Whitney Economics:
Hemp derived cannbinoids: an economics impact analysis of Cannabinoid Retail in Virginia
