Industry Voices: Newsom’s hemp proposal goes too far

On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced emergency regulations that could deliver a significant blow to California's multi-billion-dollar hemp industry. Citing a statewide emergency due to youth access to intoxicating hemp products, the governor issued a sweeping ban on all hemp products containing any residual THC, and limited serving sizes to five servings. He also imposed an age restriction of 21 and over for purchasing these products. These drastic measures threaten to completely obliterate the hemp industry, potentially forcing manufacturers to shut down—even those that primarily sell out of state. The suddenness of this decision raises . . .