Protect children without DESTROYING North Carolina’s hemp industry.
The HB 328 Conference Report does not close the age-21 gap — it creates a permanent statewide ban tied to a federal rule that has not taken effect and may never become law.
The age-21 fix already exists.
SB 328 — a clean age-21 bill — passed the Senate 42-0 and the House 106-1 more than a year ago. It has sat in Senate Rules ever since. Pass that. Protecting kids does not require a permanent ban.
The 0.4 mg standard is not federal law.
It does not take effect federally until November 12, 2026 — and Congress may still delay, amend, or repeal it. This Conference Report locks North Carolina into that standard permanently, no matter what Congress does.
No chamber has voted on this bill.
HB 328 was filed as a focused school-safety bill the industry supported. The statewide 0.4 mg cap was inserted at the conference stage. Neither chamber has taken a floor vote on this permanent ban.
This is fines, not a regulatory system.
No licensing. No product registry. No mandatory testing. No safe harbor. Just criminal classifications and civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation — after the harm is done.
The economic damage is measured, not speculative.
North Carolina’s hemp industry generates $3.2 billion in annual revenue, $4.4 billion in total economic impact, and supports 16,000+ jobs. Independent analysis shows this bill could eliminate more than 12,000 of them.
Kratom and xylazine deserve their own vote.
Nothing about scheduling xylazine or regulating kratom requires eliminating a lawful North Carolina industry. Split the bill — don’t hold public safety hostage to a hemp ban.
Tell the House: vote NO on the HB 328 Conference Report.
Pass a clean age-21 bill and a real regulatory framework — licensing, testing, packaging, enforcement. North Carolina can protect children AND protect North Carolina jobs. This bill does neither well.
Six offices decide what happens next.
These are the desks the HB 328 Conference Report crosses. Sixty seconds each — a call and an email. Thank the allies. Ask the rest to vote no.
