Prior to the passage of the Farm Bill, North Carolina was already making some advances in the hemp industry, regarding it as a potential economic benefit due to the plant’s great advantages. The Industrial Hemp Pilot Program, launched in 2014, aimed to produce hemp under the federal law guidelines. Even though there were plenty of adjustments to be made, this step was necessary to introduce farmers to the growing hemp market.
Through the years, this state has added more clarifications on the production, distribution and possession of hemp products, making it more accessible to everyone who wants to benefit from the plant. In this guide, you will find out more about the current laws regarding hemp flower in North Carolina and the different places you can get it depending on the city you live in.
Is Hemp Legal in North Carolina?
Like any other state, North Carolina had several misconceptions about hemp. The distinctive factor between hemp and marijuana would be the low presence of THC content in the first one, which is the compound that produces the “high”. This difference was already known by researchers, who did all they could to make hemp legal again after decades of prohibition.
In 2018, however, the situation changed; 600 farmers were granted licenses to plant their own crops and ended up creating 8,000 acres of hemp. North Carolina tried to take advantage of the rocketing market and began to regulate the production processes to deliver high-quality hemp products.
As of now, the list of hemp-derived products legalized in NC includes cosmetics, food -unless federally prohibited- oils, tinctures and some other products. The state of North Carolina has finally created a legal market for hemp, allowing farmers and consumers to make the most out of it.
Can You Smoke Hemp Publicly in North Carolina?
One small caveat of living in North Carolina and smoking hemp is that you really can’t smoke it – at least not publicly. Every state has run into this problem: law enforcement can’t really differentiate between hemp and marijuana due to their visual similarity. So, in order to make it easier for both the authorities and consumers, they banned public smoking of hemp. However, North Carolina officials passed a bill to ban smokable hemp, trying to make it illegal just as marijuana, affecting thousands of farmers and companies that have sold hemp flower and pre-rolls as their main products.
On the other hand, the FDA has prohibited CBD edibles unless companies are licensed and their products approved by the department. Thus far, the only way you’re going to consume CBD in North Carolina without getting in trouble is through hemp oil.
Where to Buy Hemp Flower in North Carolina
If you’re looking to stay within the lines of the law, it is important that you know about places that are selling quality and lawful hemp in North Carolina. When it comes to hemp products, your best bet is to always buy from companies that have run lab tests on their items. Botany Farms has publicly available lab tests that ensure their consumers that our products are of the highest quality. If you want to try out some of our craft cannabis, we can deliver the products no matter where you are in NC.
In case you want to know about local stores, we’ll walk you through some popular places that are selling hemp legally in North Carolina.
Hemp Flower Charlotte
Charlotte CBD, as the name suggests, was a business started and ran locally in Charlotte. It is owned by three friends who had the idea of delivering great experiences through CBD instead of harmful drugs. This resulted in the opening of one of Charlotte’s only legal and white-collar hemp stores.
Charlotte CBD is top-notch when it comes to customer satisfaction. Their employees carefully describe every aspect of Charlotte’s hemp law in detail for the customers to fully understand the basics and reasons of NC regulations. If you’re someone that wants to buy hemp while staying well within the legal boundaries, Charlotte CBD is a great place to do so. In addition, the store is running an extremely informative blog and podcast, which is pretty much gold mine for hemp users. If you’re new to the whole concept of smoking hemp, do give them a visit to learn the basics of this plant.
They have three stores in total and two of them are in North Carolina. Find them at 2419 Central Ave. Charlotte, NC 28205, or visit their website here.
Hemp Flower Raleigh
The Hemp Store is one of the most popular hemp stores in Raleigh, Wake Forest, and Chapel Hill. They have an amazing product line coupled with impeccable knowledge of the plant, making it a combination that attracts plenty of customers.
During the pandemic, the company did take a lot of safety precautions that were lacking in the hemp industry for quite a few months. Curbside contact-free delivery, free masks, limited entry, free delivery for senior citizens – they went the whole mile and did all they could to keep their consumers safe and healthy while delivering quality products.
Another plus is that the company sells smokables and hemp edibles in-site as well as on their website. Even though there are several regulations about these products, as mentioned before, the store makes sure that the items they sell have been approved by the department.
The store is located at 1000 Old Milburnie RD STE. They’re changing their location to a few blocks up the road into a more spacious place, so you may want to visit them soon.
Hemp Flower Greensboro
Hemp XR and CBD is a run-of-the-mill hemp dispensary that is reliable and has a great collection of CBD products sold at a nice price. Another plus is their store: it immediately catches your attention and makes you feel like you have entered a whole new world with their decoration. The staff is also very friendly and will explain to you everything about their products.
Hemp XR and CBD doesn’t have an online store set up just yet. They’re still functioning out of a physical store located at 374- C Battleground Ave Greensboro. If you live anywhere near the area, they’re worth a visit.
Hemp Flower Durham
Heal Tree is another hemp store aiming to educate their customers before they actually send them the product. The company makes sure that their clients have the best experience possible from their products and invites you to give them a call anytime, giving you their attention if you happen to have any question.
Heal Tree has a pretty wide collection too. They’re one of the few suppliers out there that sell CBD-infused drinks. Moreover, they provide their products at extremely reasonable prices. It’s a premium quality vendor at decent prices, what more could you possibly ask for?
Due to COVID-19, the store has set up a click & collect services for their clients to ensure safety above anything else. You can find them at 417 Foster St unit 3, Durham, or go to their online shop.
Finding quality hemp flower in North Carolina may be a little bit of a challenge if you are new to this world. However, the work of farmers, researchers and consumers altogether are making it possible for more small companies and retailers to sell hemp products while following all the needed procedures. In the future, we may see NC state being more open to all the new possibilities found in hemp and creating more opportunities for the people who want to have a great time.
