SC Be Like: No Hemp in Our Grub or Sips, Y’all

Yo, peep this: South Carolina be straight-up trippin’ when it comes to hemp-derived products. They on some next level rigidity with their approach to food and drinks containing hemp ingredients. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) came out with a warning, datin’ back to Jan. 22, sayin’ they ban the manufacture, distribution, and sale of any food or beverage that got hemp-derived ingredients up in it. Damn, talk about harsh.

Now, in most states you can find CBD products all day because the federal regulations be mad unclear. But yo, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) been throwin’ shade like nobody’s business, sayin’ that CBD products is illegal under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. They always warnin’ bout how addin’ CBD to food makes it adulterated or messin’ with any medical claims. But they takin’ their sweet time finalizin’ any real rules.

The letter from the DHEC be like, “Yo, these hemp products ain’t approved to be added to no food or drinks,” and they list out all the things they ban:

1. Viable, non-sterilized hemp seeds, raw hemp leaves, raw microgreens, basically any unprocessed hemp biomass that’s considered “plant material” and can’t be possessed without a license.
2. Pure CBD Isolate. Nope, not allowed.
3. Delta-8 THC, Delta-9 THC, Delta-10 THC, or any other derivative of THC. None of that allowed either.
4. “Full spectrum” whole-plant extract if it got health claims or any mention of THC or CBD.
5. Any hemp product that ain’t made in a food-grade establishment inspected under GMP or cGMP regulations.
6. Any hemp or hemp-derived product that be promotin’ its medical or health benefits. Nah, son.

But wait, there’s a smidge of hope. They say you can use hemp seed derivatives as ingredients in food and drinks. The FDA done evaluated three Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) notices for hemp products and gave ’em the thumbs up. So, these ones can be legally used:

1. Hulled hemp seed.
2. Hemp seed protein.
3. Hemp seed oil.

Now, the DHEC tryna sound all educational and stuff, sayin’ they just tryna regulate these manufacturers and distributors. But they gotta follow the law and remove any non-conforming hemp-derived products from circulation. Sandra Craig, Director of the DEHC’s Division of Food and Lead Risk Assessments, said in a letter that they gotta do what they gotta do.

Oh, but it don’t stop there. They got more rules for us to follow if we wanna use full-spectrum whole-plant extract in our food and drinks:

1. That extract gotta have all them natural ratios and phytonutrients found in hemp.
2. Gotta call it “Full Spectrum Hemp Oil” or “Full Spectrum Hemp Extract” on the label, but no health claims or mention of THC, CBD, or Delta-9.
3. When you get your hemp oil from the approved supplier, it can’t have more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC according to Certificates of Analysis (COAs). Any oil with more is illegal. And ain’t no using “crude” or “work in progress” hemp oils over that limit either. If it got too much THC, it’s a Schedule I Drug now. No bueno.
4. Don’t be talkin’ bout THC or dosages on the label either. No mention of that allowed.
5. Oh, and only intrastate hemp product sales are allowed. Gotta stay local with it.

But here’s the real kicker. They ain’t just goin’ after them synthetic hemp-derived products like delta-8 THC and THC-O that give you that psychoactive high. Nah, they comin’ for CBD, hemp leaves, plant material, and whatever else they can get their hands on. Delta-8 THC barely exists in nature, gotta be cooked up in a lab to get them intoxicating amounts. That’s why states either tryna shut it down or regulate it like marijuana. The 2018 Farm Bill accidentally made it legal, and now delta-8 THC be sneakin’ into medical markets.

And South Carolina ain’t the only state crackin’ down on hemp-derived products. At least twelve other states be tryna ban ’em in one way or another. It’s a wild world out there when it comes to hemp, my friends.

Stay woke, stay informed, and keep an eye on how the game keeps changin’.