NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The new year means new restrictions on consumable THC products like seltzers and gummies. Louisiana’s latest hemp laws will go into effect in less than two weeks.
It’s something small businesses in the hemp industry are not happy about.
State Rep. Mandie Landry said lawmakers passed bills that weren’t as thorough as they should have been, describing the new legislation as a step toward correcting past missteps. However, hemp industry leaders argue the laws will hurt their success.
“We were facing a pretty existential threat to our state, and we survived that. We did not come out unscathed, however,” said Joe Gerrity, CEO of Crescent Canna.
Starting January 1st, 2025, you won’t be able to buy consumable hemp products if you’re under 21 or from a gas station—the current subject of a lawsuit.
“It’s a problem with regulation, and frankly, they’ve been scapegoated,” Gerrity said.
The new law caps seltzers, gummies, and tinctures at 5 milligrams per serving and bans the sale of flower hemp products.
It’s the latest compromise in an ongoing effort to regulate the multimillion-dollar industry.
“There was a little confusion in the last few years about what was being expanded and legalized, and when it was done there was very little regulation… people didn’t quite understand what 5 milligrams verses 30 meant,” Rep. Landry said.
Gerrity said his company has prepared for returns, created new formulations and toned down the potency of about 30% of their products. That means new packaging, boxes, cans, recipes, compliance protocols and state registration challenges.
“It’s very time consuming, it’s very expensive and it takes away from our ability to actually grow our company,” Gerrity said.
His watermelon-flavored drink recently won a national award.
“People who live here are not able to buy what has been widely heralded as the best THC product in country,” Gerrity said.
He can no longer sell 12 packs nor 12-ounce cans with 50 milligrams of Delta 9 THC.
“It’s just a matter of an arbitrary number being chosen,” said Gerrity. “It’s not based on science or their experience.”
Doctors with Harvard Health found THC can affect the body in different ways.
They said larger amounts of THC could make some people sick and even paranoid, but for others, they may not be affected by the large dosage.
Gerrity is concerned with the new restrictions, consumers will turn to the black market, or a product called THC-P.
“These products are wildly more dangerous … and they’re also wildly more potent,” Gerrity said.
Rep. Landry acknowledges many people have turned to these products to stop drinking alcohol and help with medical conditions.
“The majority of my colleagues understand that this is a legit business now and it’s here to stay and we just need to make sure that it’s safe,” Rep. Landry said.
Gerrity said it’s very difficult to do business in the state, which recently agreed to a temporary stay in the regulations for about a week, before back tracking.
Like many others, he expects hemp-related bills to continue coming up in future legislative sessions.
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