Louisiana House Passes Intoxicating Hemp Regulations While Senate Passes Outright Ban

Lawmakers in Louisiana are considering competing bills to either regulate or ban THC consumables in the state, NOLA.com reports. The House is considering a measure to tighten industry regulations, while the Senate is considering a proposal to ban the industry outright. 

Under the House bill, beverages containing THC would only be allowed with one serving per container – a max of 8 milligrams of THC. The measure would also move all non-drinkable THC products behind the counter and set the purchasing age at 21 years old. The proposal would also require manufacturers to test every batch of consumable hemp products and allow the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control commissioner to ban companies from producing products on their first violation of the law, if the violation is considered egregious.

Rep. Dustin Miller (D), the bill’s author, said the state’s hemp industry supports his bill, especially considering the Senate is considering an outright ban.  

“At the end of the day, they don’t want to have to come here every year fighting to keep this going. They would like some stability so that they can move on and focus on producing their products and running their business.” — Miller to NOLA.com 

The vote to ban intoxicating hemp products in the state passed the Senate 27-9, mostly along party lines with most Republicans in favor and most Democrats opposed. The bill’s author, Sen. Thomas Pressly (R) had noted in March that he believed the “right spot is somewhere between” an outright ban and “free market galore” but ultimately backed proceeding with the full ban vote.