“The consumer demand in North Carolina is clear, and the passing of this near-total ban bill would take good actors like us out of this space and allow bad actors to flourish.”
By Melissa Johnston, Tryon Distributing via Carolina Journal
North Carolina holds an immense opportunity to create the best hemp beverage law in the county, and I would like to see us take advantage of it.
In August, the General Assembly decided to table the hearing of HB 328—a bill that would have cemented an all but total ban on all hemp beverages, even if sensible regulation happens on a federal level. The legislature chose to delay the hearing of this bill until November, so they could learn more about the issues at hand.
My family’s company is an independent, statewide wholesale distributor that has served North Carolina for 42 years. When we added our first hemp beverage brand in 2024, we had modest expectations for the category.
Since then, hemp beverages have grown to become one of the brightest spots in our portfolio. These beverages are also providing valuable revenue for our customers—North Carolina’s bars, restaurants and homegrown grocers—helping them stay afloat in the face of rising rent, labor costs and raw goods prices.
As sales of these beverages grew at our company, we realized the need to bring on more employees to support this developing part of our business. We also decided to invest in cannabis beverage certifications for our entire sales team, reflecting our commitment to bringing these products to market responsibly.
While the legislature argues over the protection of kids, and how to handle these products, we are losing valuable time to make real, meaningful legislation that would protect kids while allowing small businesses to thrive.
We share the legislature’s commitment to protecting children and ensuring strong public safeguards, but HB 328 in its current form would cause significant harm to North Carolina’s economy and small businesses.
We agree that sensible regulation is needed. Measures such as 21+ age requirements, clear labeling and mandatory third-party lab testing are essential to protecting children and our communities, and we support their inclusion in any final legislation.
The consumer demand in North Carolina is clear, and the passing of this near-total ban bill would take good actors like us out of this space and allow bad actors to flourish in an illicit black market that would be created by our General Assembly.
I am also deeply concerned about the economic impact of a ban.
A 2026 study by Whitney Economics valued the hemp industry in North Carolina at $3.2 billion and found it supports 16,000 jobs—figures that do not even account for the hospitality sector, where the true impact on our local restaurants and breweries is likely greater.
Local breweries have begun making hemp beverages to offset declining beer sales, Michelin star restaurants now serve hemp cocktails alongside their other offerings and hemp beverages now sit on the shelves alongside beer and wine in some of the state’s favorite local grocery stores.
If HB 328 passes in November in its current form, North Carolina will cede this industry to neighboring states that are pursuing sensible, federally aligned regulation instead of prohibition. I believe reasonable regulation—not a ban—is the right path forward. And I would like to see our General Assembly revive SB 265, a bill that works for everyone and protects consumers and communities while preserving this important part of our state’s economy.
North Carolina currently has a blank slate for its hemp market. We have an equal chance of getting this right or getting this terribly wrong. I urge anyone reading this who enjoys hemp beverages, or who cares about the small farmers and family businesses this industry supports, to reach out to their state representative and ask them to support real regulation, not prohibition.
North Carolina has a chance to showcase how great of a state we can be; let’s take it.
Melissa Johnston is the vice president of strategic development at Tryon Distributing and a founding voice behind the Regulate Don’t Ruin NC hemp beverage advocacy campaign.
This piece was first published by Carolina Journal.
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