CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) – It’s been more than two weeks since stricter hemp laws went into effect in the Commonwealth, and it is already impacting some Virginia business owners.
In April, the General Assembly approved Governor Glenn Youngkin’s changes to a bill that bans hemp products with more than two milligrams of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis that causes a high.
When it passed, Youngkin’s administration told 8News that it was part of his efforts to crack down on synthetic products like Delta 8.
Because of the changes — which officially went into effect on July 1, alongside many other new laws — dozens of products now sit in a display case at Kultivate Welllness in Midlothian, unable to be sold.
“We’re making it but we’re definitely way down. I’m down $40,000 dollars for the month,” owner Evan Somogyi said.
The changes have caused Somogyi to have to take more than 75% of his products off his store’s shelves.
“We’re adapting and overcoming, you know, we’re going to sell we’re currently selling Virginia compliant products, and developing more,” Somogyi said.
Somogyi added he has had to close his other storefront in Short Pump because of the changes. He’s now since opened a physical store in North Carolina where he sells the products banned in Virginia in person and online.
“Everybody is hurting right now. This was definitely, like a low blow by the state,” Somogyi said.
