North Carolina has become one of the most hemp-friendly areas of the country. For centuries, industrial hemp (plant species Cannabis sativa) has been a source of fiber and oilseed used worldwide to produce a variety of industrial and consumer products.
The 113th Congress made significant changes to U.S. policies regarding industrial hemp during the omnibus farm bill debate. The Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) provided that certain research institutions and state departments of agriculture may grow industrial hemp, as part of an agricultural pilot program, if allowed under state laws where the institution or state department of agriculture is located.
Hemp production has been legalized in North Carolina, but only as part of the state’s pilot program as allowed under federal law. The N.C. General Assembly passed Senate Bill 313 in 2015, allowing the Industrial Hemp Commission to develop the rules and licensing structure necessary to stay within federal laws. The law was modified in 2016 in House Bill 992.
The best advice we can give for tourists looking to partake in the cannabis hemp culture is discretion. It’s best to keep your hemp use out of public areas, but if you must smoke out in the open, a discreet vape pen is your best option.
Resources (Source-North Carolina Department of Agriculture)
USDA, DEA, FDA Statement of Principles on Industrial Hemp(2016)
NEW LINK: USDA: Importation of hemp seed (4-19-2019)
N.C. State Extension Hemp Page
N.C. A&T State University Industrial Hemp Program
Guest column on federal rules involving CBD
Resolution adopted by the Industrial Hemp Commission July 28, 2017
USDA Report: Industrial Hemp in the United States: Status and Market Potential(2000)
Congressional Research Service: Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity (2015)
N.C. SB 313:Industrial Hemp
N.C. HB 992:Industrial Hemp
Is Industrialized Hemp Legal in North Carolina?
Yes, hemp cannabis that contain less than 0.3% THC is legal
What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?
Hemp and marijuana are the same plant; they are different names for the same genus (Cannabis) and species.
Hemp and marijuana even look and smell the same. The difference is that hemp plants contain no more than 0.3 percent (by dry weight) of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. By comparison, marijuana typically contains 5 to 20 percent THC. You can’t get high on hemp.
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