CHARLOTTE — Hundreds of cannabis industry employees gathered at the State Capitol in Raleigh today. They are protesting a North Carolina House bill that operators say would effectively end their industry.
The demonstration resulted in the closure of many stores selling cannabis products across the state as workers traveled to the capital to lobby lawmakers.
The proposed legislation, House Bill 328, would set THC limits at levels that business owners claim would make their current inventory illegal. Industry workers are calling the measure a kill bill and are urging lawmakers to block it before a potential committee vote.
Channel 9’s Ken Lemon reported that the mass closure of retail locations allowed employees to travel to the capital to lobby against the bill. One business operator told Lemon that staff members were needed in Raleigh more than they were at their retail locations for the day.
The owner of Crowntown Cannabis stated that the proposed restrictions on THC levels would make every product he sells illegal. THC is the compound in cannabis that provides a high. Business operators fear the legislation could move to a committee vote as early as today.
Industry operators indicated that the current legislative session has not met their expectations. Many had hoped state lawmakers would provide a reprieve from federal laws that could potentially end the cannabis business nationwide. Workers are now specifically lobbying against what they have termed a kill bill.
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