RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) – Hemp and CBD could become illegal in North Carolina by the end of June as the state’s temporary legalization comes to an end. Now, the state Senate has approved the bill that would keep it legal.

On Tuesday, the North Carolina Senate unanimously voted to pass Senate Bill 762. The bill still needs approval in the House and the governor’s signature before becoming law. The bill would allow farmers to continue to grow hemp as a foundation for the fiber found in rope and garments and other products but also for the CBD products, such as oils, vapes and other consumables. The difference is that these products are very low in intoxicants, such as THC, and serve more to soothe people than to make them high.

Since Hemp farming became legal under federal law in 2014, there are about 1,500 hemp growers and more than 1,200 processors in North Carolina registered under the USDA Domestic Hemp Production Rule. But North Carolina has looked at this as a pilot program, which is scheduled to end in June. Since January all those producers had to be registered under that USDA rule.

The 2022 Farm Act redefines the difference between hemp and marijuana. Hemp is described as being cannabis that has 0.3% less Delta-9, which is the chemical that makes a marijuana user high. Hemp would be removed permanently from the state’s list of controlled substances. There are 31 other states in which hemp is decriminalized, as North Carolina does for now. [Read More @ Fox News]