The Brief

PHOENIX - The hemp industry is feeling the effects of a small provision in the recently passed spending bill—the same one that ended the government shutdown.

The backstory:

By state law, recreational marijuana has to be sold through regulated dispensaries. But a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill has allowed hemp products to be sold outside of dispensaries, at places like gas stations, smoke shops, or corner stores.

Now, Congress and local officials are trying to close that loophole, targeting unregulated THC.

"People started to make products that had THC in them, that they were using synthetic types of processes to make it—making gummies, drinks, all of that. And those were available at convenience stores, at smoke shops," said Moe Asnani, the founding partner at Ilava and D2

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