{"id":85212,"date":"2026-01-20T11:07:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T19:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/01\/20\/south-carolina-lawmakers-should-pass-hemp-legislation-that-smartly-regulates-products-op-ed\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T19:47:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T03:47:45","slug":"south-carolina-lawmakers-should-pass-hemp-legislation-that-smartly-regulates-products-op-ed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/01\/20\/south-carolina-lawmakers-should-pass-hemp-legislation-that-smartly-regulates-products-op-ed\/","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina Lawmakers Should Pass Hemp Legislation That Smartly Regulates Products (Op-Ed)"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth Carolina can take an important step forward on regulating the hemp industry, protecting our families and ensuring access to these products.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

By David Spang, Coastal Green Welless via South Carolina Daily Gazette<\/strong><\/p>\n

In South Carolina, the hemp industry is at a crossroads.<\/p>\n

Without sensible regulation for the sale of hemp and hemp-derived products, we risk undercutting public safety, damaging industry credibility and putting South Carolina small businesses in jeopardy.<\/p>\n

Current South Carolina law\u00a0does not regulate products\u00a0containing hemp-derived cannabinoids<\/a>, aside from limiting delta-9 THC to 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis under federal law.<\/p>\n

This gap has allowed a rapid increase in products, from gummies to vapes, with little to no oversight or guidelines.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there is a solution.<\/p>\n

For the last several years, the\u00a0South Carolina Healthy Alternatives Association\u00a0has worked to develop a reasonable and responsible regulatory framework for the state\u2019s hemp industry. As the legislative session opens in Columbia, an amendment to\u00a0House Bill 3924<\/a>\u00a0provides an opportunity to implement that framework.<\/p>\n

With the support of numerous legislators, we believe this amendment will make the proposal the only legislation that accomplishes the goals of our industry, law enforcement, and most importantly, protects the public.<\/p>\n

States around the country, including\u00a0Georgia,\u00a0Tennessee,\u00a0West Virginia\u00a0and\u00a0Kentucky\u00a0have passed bills to responsibly regulate hemp and hemp-derived products in their states.<\/p>\n

Additionally, last month\u2019s\u00a0White House order\u00a0on reclassifying marijuana also\u00a0gave clear direction\u00a0on full-spectrum hemp, signaling further support for consumable hemp products.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time South Carolina joined its peers, ensuring access to these products for people who have come to rely on them, and protecting small business owners and the public from bad actors.<\/p>\n

In December, local, state and federal law enforcement conducted \u201cOperation Ganjaprenuer,\u201d a series of coordinated operations against criminals trafficking illegal drugs across South Carolina.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, these actions also impacted legitimate businesses selling legal hemp products across the state.<\/p>\n

For those businesses, Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) called for exactly what is needed: a reasonably and responsibly regulated South Carolina hemp industry.<\/p>\n

That means creating a framework for responsible regulations for hemp-derived consumable products to include the following:<\/p>\n