The Virginia Cannabis Association asked Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to consider changes in a pair of bills that recently received approval from the General Assembly.
In a letter to Youngkin, the association wrote that the measure, which set regulations on hemp-derived synthetic products containing THC, “would have the unintended result of eliminating the thriving Virginia hemp industry."
Citing Whitney Economics's analysis, which found hemp-derived cannabinoid retailers have an estimated combined sales of $1.2 billion and the industry employs about 4,300 people, the group said THC products would also eliminate this entire industry along with the associated jobs and revenue.
Under Bill HB2294 and SB 903, businesses selling “an industrial hemp extract …