Spencer Sacks
(update: adding video, quotes from CEO and Cofounder of Shift Natural, Ryan Evans )
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — When the House and Senate passed the government funding bill that the President signed just over a week ago, a provision tucked away inside it massively changes marijuana consumption in the United States.
Discussions of the bill has sparked concern from Oregon Residents. Some feel THC products, currently legal at the state level, could be impacted.
Businesses have grown frustrated about the constantly changing regulations on a federal level.
After the 20-18 farm bill, hemp derivatives were legalized, creating the ability to make beverages from hemp. But now, its been put into jeopardy.
KTVZ News spoke with the CEO and Cofounder of Shift Naturals, Ryan Evans, a local hemp beverage company to find out how the industry will be impacted.
Evans told KTVZ, “It would be catastrophic for our business and for the entire industry. It would put most of the companies out of business.”
The concern Ryan Evans shared, stems from the fact this legislation would restrict where you can buy these beverages. Currently, you can buy these beverages at some bars and gas stations in Central Oregon.
Local dispensary owners say consumers have nothing to worry about.
Jeremy Kwit, Founder of the dispensary Substance, told KTVZ News, “For those unregulated states and unregulated companies like convenience stores and gas stations or the internet, who do not perform any age gating, they’re not checking identification. That is what the federal government is hoping to end.”
While hemp and marijuana are a scheduled substance, a grey area within the 2018 Farm Bill has created an area where THC and CBD derivates can be sold.
Those include unregulated and untested edibles and beverages.
This gray area stems from a distinction made in the definition of hemp and cannabis plants. But, a section in the recently passed budget bill eliminates the distinction, so hemp products are now subject to stricter regulations.
By Oregon law, in order to sell cannabis, you must obtain a license from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, and you must follow a strict seed to sale tracking system.
It tracks every product in any form, from seed all the way through the process, until it ends up on the shelves.
“So a product like this tincture that is flavored, clearly designated as made from hemp, that CBD forward is, thoroughly tested and doesn’t have any THC in it,” Kwit told KTVZ “Outside of Oregon, products that are called hemp or called CBD may have a lot of THC in it. There’s just no lab testing, and there’s no packaging regulations.”
Oregon put in place new regulation to have all cannabinoids sold in Oregon to be registered in a hemp registry next year.
While there is significant concern for cannabis product sales in other states, Kwit believes now is a perfect time to buy here in Oregon.
Kwit told KTVZ News, “Despite possible hysteria, now’s a great time to be an Oregonian and to be shopping for cannabis in Oregon”
Oregon Senator, Ron Wyden, was outspoken about the restriction.
“This is a hugely important AG product, and at the same time, protect our kids from edibles and various other approaches designed to addict them at an early age,” Sen. Wyden told KTVZ News. “I think adults who want to use this product safely ought to have the chance to do it. But I don’t want to see kids get sick in the process.”
There are members of the House who are already working on a reversal of this provision.
The hemp ban won’t take effect until November of next year.
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