MIDVALE, Utah — The congressional funding bill that ended the government shutdown this week included something called a THC cap, which would effectively ban most hemp-based products.
Big picture, industry leaders say the cap could put a huge damper on their $28 billion industry and affect nearly 300,000 jobs. Small picture? It’s going to have a big impact on small Utah businesses, such as Farmer and Chemist in Midvale.
“Farmers to retailers, it’s going to hurt! Because products are not going to be available," said Steve Murdock, Operations Manager at The Farmer and the Chemist.
The location on Main Street in Midvale has been providing CBD and hemp products for six years and has just renewed its lease. Murdock says regular customers rely on him as a non-pharmaceutical way to deal with multiple ailments.
“We specialize in products that help people with inflammation, pain and sleep. They bring relief to thousands of people across the state of Utah,” Murdock explained.
All those hemp-based products are non-addictive, most with very little to zero THC.
This government shutdown might outlast its paycheck hangover:
“Honestly, my first reaction was, this is such lazy legislation!" said Aspen Florez, co-owner of Utah Hemp and Cannabis Company.
After eight years as co-owners, Florez and Wendy Mendenhall say many people, especially lawmakers, still don't understand that their customers go to their store to get help, not to get high.
“You need to really look at the research and need to understand that," said Florez. “All of the products we sell, which the majority of them would be impacted if this actually went into effect the way it’s been written, all of our products are non-psychoactive.”
The Utah Department of Agriculture released a statement claiming they are monitoring the bill and its effect on state hemp producers, but that it's too early to determine its full impact. The department added that it's staying in contact with federal partners and will share updates as they are available.
“We say 'Field to Formulation,'" said Murdock. "We control the process so we know where the product is coming from and how it’s formulated so we can have a safe product.”
