North Carolina lawmakers are regulating cannabis-derived THC edibles and beverages

“I’m the guy who discovered you can drink THC instead of alcohol.”

By Lynn Bonner, North Carolina Newsline

North Carolina lawmakers talked a lot about drugs on Wednesday, with a Senate committee agreeing to legislation on hemp-derived consumables and House members moving to crack down on the sale and use of “herin at gas stations.”

The state House has fast-tracked passage of proposed legislation that would make the unauthorized sale of the opioid-like substance tianeptine a crime. Simple possession would generally be a Class I misdemeanor, according to information prepared by legislative staff.

Tianeptine is sold in the form of dietary supplements commonly available in convenience stores, tobacco shops and on the Internet.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate this drug, but warns against selling or buying it, according to NC Newsline. According to the FDA, tianeptine in high doses mimics opioids and can lead to addiction and overdose.

At least 11 states have banned the use of tianeptine. The House Committee on Substance Abuse, which met last winter, recommended that North Carolina also take action.

House Bill 903 makes tianeptine a Schedule II controlled substance, placing it on the list with fentanyl, codeine, oxycodone and dozens of other drugs. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, praised the move. Placing tianeptine on the list of controlled substances will provide law enforcement with a “clear legal framework to address illegal possession and distribution,” he said.

On Wednesday, the bill passed through two House committees without opposition and went to a vote by the full House. If the House passes the bill, it will go to the Senate for consideration.

On the Senate Judiciary Committee, Reilly Thomas Dunn of Raleigh, who with his wife founded a company selling hemp THC beverages, thanked the committee for considering a House bill regulating hemp THC consumables.

“I am not a lawyer or a lobbyist,” he said. “I’m the guy who discovered you can drink THC instead of alcohol.”

Dunn said his company’s clients include people of faith, young families and veterans.

“We have been asking for a long time to regulate this space because if we do it right, it will be a huge industry for North Carolina,” he said.

The act sets a limit on the THC content in hemp gummies, drinks and other consumer products. The bill would prohibit sales to people under 21 and the distribution of samples in parks and on public streets. It would be illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase these products or use false identification to purchase them.

The Act similarly regulates products containing kratom, i.e. leaves of a tropical tree.

Kratom products and hemp-derived consumables will be banned from school premises.

The House passed a version of the bill last year.

The Senate added a section establishing a “death by distribution” fee for selling or giving someone Tianeptine, which causes the person’s death.

This story was first published by NC Newsline.

Congressional Committee Votes to Continue Blocking D.C. from Legalizing Marijuana Sales

Photo courtesy of Pexels/Kindel Media.