How North Carolina cannabis stores are able to sell products that look and act like marijuana

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — As the hemp industry in North Carolina continues to grow and evolve, new variations of products are popping up on shelves.

When Louis Rubio first heard of one of those products a few months ago, he had some questions.

“When we first heard about it, we were like skeptical, curious, unsure,” Rubio said.

Rubio and Chloe Blesh co-founded Hemp Generation and have been navigating the changing hemp industry for years.

The product that initially shocked them is called the THCa flower.

“It’s very concerning at first. We were very apprehensive. It was very hard to believe that this could be legal,” Rubio said remembering their reaction a few months ago.

The reason behind the shock is that when smoked, THCa flower gives users a very similar effect to marijuana sold in dispensaries.

While neither recreational nor medical marijuana is legalized in the state, the products sold in North Carolina can closely mirror the effects on users.

“So what we’re talking about is hemp that is essentially very similar to or even the same thing in certain cases as the marijuana that you’re buying in regulated marijuana states,” said attorney Rod Kight.

Kight represents numerous hemp businesses across the nation. He explained that North Carolina law divides cannabis into two categories; marijuana, which is illegal, and hemp. The two are differentiated by the amount of Delta 9 THC they contain. All products sold in North Carolina need to contain no more than 0.3% of Delta 9 THC to be legal hemp. [Read More @ ABC11]