By Jessica Holdman, South Carolina Daily Gazette
Hemp-derived THC products remain on sale in South Carolina to buyers of all ages, including minors, after the state legislature failed Thursday to enact restrictions.
A compromise bill passed the Senate 27-11 but was killed in the House 69-28. The no votes came from 41 Republicans and 28 Democrats; no Democrat supported the measure.
The bill would have capped THC at 10 milligrams per serving for gummies and beverages, limited most sales to liquor stores, permitted other retailers to apply for a license to sell 12-ounce beverages with up to 5 milligrams of THC kept behind the counter, and banned restaurants from selling the products. Negotiators also removed DUI penalties to secure a deal.
Hemp-derived THC sits in a legal gray area created by the 2018 federal Farm Bill; the issue has divided the GOP in both chambers across two legislative sessions.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said after the vote: “My concern about doing something very minimalist is that once you do something on a problem it’s: well, that problem is solved, we have another fire to put out, and we don’t come back to it for 10 years. And if the only thing that we can do is to prohibit sales to under 21, I would rather the pressure grow, and let’s see if we can address it more comprehensively later.” He preferred a total ban but recognized the Senate wouldn’t support one.
Rep. Greg Ford, R-Summerville, argued the bill transferred business from hemp retailers to the liquor industry; he said a Charleston-area operator would lose 10 of 11 stores under location requirements and an Upstate owner would have to shut all 29. Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Summerville, said roughly 1,800 small businesses employing 3,500 people were at risk.
Rep. John McCravy, R-Greenwood, argued the bill would make South Carolina a dumping ground for dangerous THC products and worsen addiction.
House Judiciary Chairman Weston Newton, R-Bluffton, read a letter from S.C. State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel: “Currently without regulation and dedicated resources, statewide enforcement of intoxicating THC products is virtually impossible. Posing a significant public safety risk, especially to our young people.”
South Carolina now waits on federal action: rules reducing the allowable THC content in hemp products could take effect in November.
This story was first published by South Carolina Daily Gazette.