On April 1, 2025, The Housing, Agriculture, and Tourism SubCommittee led a hearing on their proposed committee bills (now HB 7027 and HB 7029). With only a handful of big hemp businesses in the room lawmakers passed a sweeping set of reforms. These bills were built by prohibitionists for prohibitionists. Big hemp businesses are asking for a carve-out to make products to sell in other states while small local retailers are priced out of business!

Small Retailers and wholesalers of hemp products are on the losing end of HB 7027 and HB 7029, but the consumers will suffer the most.

The bill (7027) gives the hemp beverage industry to the likes of ABC liquor. You will no longer find hemp beverages on the shelves at health food stores, gas stations that sell beer, or your local CBD store or headshop. But wait, there is more.

HB 7027 is about "HEMP Consumable THC Products". It exempts products with trace amounts of THC with no indication of how much THC equals a "trace amount".

There is no formula for calculating total THC.

It leaves synthetic THC derivatives on the shelf at certain establishments.

It bans festival sales, farmer's markets, and limits direct-to-consumer opportunities.

Limits who can sell Hemp Consumable THC products.

Adds a 60% wholesale tax to Hemp Consumable THC products. (a 29.00 wholesale cost gets a $17.00 tax). When your retailer doubles their price the consumer may pay a whopping $100 for the product they paid 70.00 plus 6% tax before!

Watch the hearing for yourself here.