Hi, Our names are Nicholas and Daniel, and we are small business owners in the hemp industry in Maryland. On February 7th, 2022, Maryland Senator Brian Feldman and House Delegate Joseline Pena-Melnyk introduced two pieces of legislation, SB0788 & HB1078, that have the potential to upend the Maryland Hemp Industry as we know it. These legislative actions target all federally legal hemp-derived cannabinol derivates, including Delta-8-thc, CBN, Delta-10-thc and many others. These pieces of legislation can place thousands out of work and shutter hundreds of businesses. The small business community is still reeling from the impact of the covid-19 crisis; this legislation would be devastating to so many. We are fighting back to protect the public's access to these products and the business community's ability to participate in the free market.

 

Responsible wholesalers and retailers have for years taken precautionary steps against selling Delta 8 products to minors, and the hemp industry is eager to work with legislators to further ensure the products are available only to those benefitting from them that are 21 or older. Delta 8 THC – a mild THC-derived product – has had its legality assured by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which referred the study of Delta 8 products and their availability, not to state legislatures, but to states’ Departments of Agriculture.

 

Maryland wholesalers like Georgetown Hemp, which ships to retailers in Maryland and other states, have deployed costly, stringent testing processes for the products. Our standards for testing are more stringent than regulators require of medical marijuana dispensaries. Moreover, our Delta 8 THC products are subject to a tracking chain of custody from the moment the plant is harvested through every stage of processing and manufacturing. The hemp industry in our state wants these testing procedures to be a standard for the entire industry and serve as a blueprint for would-be regulators. Yet the industry has not been consulted before the legislative rush to restrict Delta 8 products.

 

Other industry concerns are:

 

A lack of understanding of Delta 8 THC’s effectiveness in relieving ailments associated with maladies such as epileptic seizures, depression, and even Parkinson’s disease.

 

Co-relating Delta 8 THC users with medical marijuana patients when they are similar to CBD market customers.

 

There is a legislative ear for the medical marijuana lobby, but not for the local hemp industry.

 

There is a tendency toward a one-shot, overreaching embrace of regulatory control instead of consideration for and interest in Maryland’s free enterprise business community, which the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 has ensured for the hemp industry.

 

An unwillingness to collaborate with industry professionals, scientists, medical practitioners and academics about Delta 8 THC before advancing restrictive, business-crippling legislation.

 

As the proposed legislation is shaping up, it would penalize responsible business owners and bolster the black market, which would negatively affect dispensaries as well as businesses selling Delta 8 products. There’s no reason Delta 8 THC businesses and medical marijuana dispensaries cannot co-exist in the state. The proposed legislative solution would not solve the stated purpose of consumer safety, but it would eradicate ethical small businesses already struggling in a Covid economy.

 

The legislation would also halt important Delta 8 THC research and science begun since the Agriculture Improvement Act’s passage. There’s much would-be regulators need to learn about Delta 8 THC; we wonder what their data set is by which they conclude that adults’ access to Delta 8 products should be restricted.

 

A petition against the proposed senate bill has begun circulating at https://www.change.org/p/senator-brian-feldman-protect-the-retail-sale-and-production-of-delta-8-thc-outside-of-the-mmcc

 

A Facebook community has also gathered to support the access and availability of Delta 8 products: https://www.facebook.com/groups/478261860601346/?ref=share

 

The purpose of this crowdfunding campaign is to solicit contributions to cover the cost of press releases and fees for the retainment of a well-respected lobbying firm. All donations will be used to pay for the services needed to push back against these pieces of legislation.

 

Our current expenses include $6,000 for the press release that was submitted today by GW Communications, as well as a $20,000 retainer fee for the lobbying firm Compass Government Relations.

 

This is just the beginning, and we may need to raise additional funds should this bill pass into law. At that time, we may need to file for a temporary injunction and take this fight to the courts.

 

Thank you in advance for your support of our movement as we fight back against these bills and advocate for the free market participation of ethical hemp businesses in the great state of Maryland.