Source: Laura Leslie, WRAL, 6/22/22

 State House agriculture leaders on Wednesday removed a proposal to permanently legalize hemp from the Senate Farm Bill, raising the stakes in a high-profile political standoff that could make a burgeoning industry illegal overnight. North Carolina temporarily made hemp legal in 2015 to allow an agricultural pilot program to try the crop. Since then, the hemp industry has blossomed in this state. But the temporary legalization expires June 30. If it isn’t extended, the state’s controlled substance law would no longer make a distinction between hemp and marijuana, which is illegal. With just a week remaining before that deadline, hemp growers, processors and retailers are getting worried.

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