North Carolina Hemp Bill H328 Hits Pause as House Republicans Reject Conference Report
A major rewrite that critics say would have functionally banned much of North Carolina's hemp market has stalled, but the debate is far from over.
North Carolina’s hemp industry received a temporary reprieve this week after a controversial rewrite of House Bill 328 (H328) failed to advance, giving thousands of businesses, employees, and consumers another opportunity to make their voices heard.
Originally introduced in the North Carolina House, H328 focused on two primary issues: establishing age restrictions for hemp products and prohibiting hemp, tobacco, and vapor products on school grounds. The bill passed the House with broad bipartisan support.
However, after reaching the Senate, portions of the legislation were significantly rewritten. According to industry advocates, the revised language would have extended far beyond age restrictions by creating provisions that could effectively prohibit many hemp products currently available in North Carolina due to the way they are manufactured.
Because the House did not agree with the Senate’s changes, the legislation moved to a conference committee, where members from both chambers were tasked with negotiating a final version of the bill.
Industry representatives closely monitoring the negotiations expressed concern that the committee’s proposal closely mirrored language found in pending federal legislation that many believe would dramatically restrict hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
The conference committee completed its work, but before the measure could receive a vote on the House floor, House Republicans met in caucus to determine whether to move the conference report forward. Following outreach from hemp businesses, employees, and advocates across the state, the caucus declined to bring the report to the House floor for a vote.
For now, that means the conference report has not advanced.
It is important to note, however, that this is not the end of the legislative process. The conference report may still be brought back for consideration during a future meeting, meaning the issue remains very much alive as lawmakers continue negotiations.
The current pause also highlights an important distinction that many within the hemp industry have emphasized throughout this debate. Businesses have consistently supported commonsense regulations, including minimum age requirements, product testing, accurate labeling, child-resistant packaging, and responsible retail standards. Their concern is that the latest version of H328 extends well beyond regulation and instead operates as a de facto ban on many federally legal hemp products.
What You Can Do
If you support North Carolina’s hemp industry, now is the time to stay engaged.
Industry advocates are encouraging residents to thank House members for declining to move the conference report forward while continuing to ask lawmakers to oppose legislation that would eliminate legal hemp products rather than regulate them.
You can also identify and contact your state legislators through the official North Carolina General Assembly Find Your Legislators page.
For those interested in participating in the industry’s current advocacy effort, the CBHD Action Center for H328 provides information on the legislation and allows North Carolinians to contact their elected officials.
As the General Assembly continues its work, we will continue monitoring H328 and provide updates as new developments occur.