Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed new emergency restrictions on California's hemp industry, citing an urgent need to protect children. His concern: a class of loosely regulated products that contain intoxicating levels of THC, the compound known for causing cannabis highs.
The state has enacted registration and testing requirements. A hemp beverage festival in Minneapolis in June allowed members of the public to sample dozens of brands. 'No smoking,' read the flier. Advocates say that approach limits access to adults while enabling the industry to continue to grow and prosper. In Missouri, a lawsuit helped spur the state to roll back Gov. Mike Parson's executive order regulating hemp products less than two months after they were announced.