Regulate, Don’t Eliminate (Part 1): What We Did in November to Fight the Looming Hemp Ban in West Virginia

November wasn’t business-as-usual for us.

While most people were shifting into holiday mode, our team was spending the month in the weeds of something that could seriously impact our business and hemp farmers across the country: a looming hemp ban driven by changing federal language, political pressure, and public confusion about what hemp is, how it’s regulated, and what’s at stake if it gets wiped out.

This blog is Part 1 of our Regulate, Don’t Eliminate Series, where we’ll keep you updated on hemp reform, policy changes, behind-the-scenes efforts, meeting updates, and what you can do to stay informed and involved.

Because this is bigger than one business. Hemp supports farmers, jobs, small storefronts, and a growing wellness economy—and West Virginia deserves a future where hemp is regulated responsibly, not eliminated with a blanket ban.

Why this “hemp ban” conversation matters

The problem with a blanket ban is simple: it doesn’t solve safety—it removes

oversight.

If legal hemp products are eliminated without a realistic alternative, consumer demand doesn’t disappear. It just shifts. That means less transparency, fewer standards, fewer lab tests, and less accountability. The goal should be a system where products are safe, businesses are compliant, and customers aren’t left guessing.

That’s where our message comes in:

Regulate, don’t eliminate.

6 things we did in November to protect hemp in West Virginia

Below are six concrete actions we took in November to push for responsible policy, clear communication, and real solutions.

1) We relentlessly contacted our state representatives

We called. We emailed. We followed up. We did everything we could to reach the people who shape state-level decisions.

And we want to be transparent: we heard back from one representative.

So a genuine shoutout to Delegate Kayla Young for responding and engaging. In a moment like this, responsiveness matters. Policy is shaped by the lawmakers who are willing to take meetings, ask questions, and actually understand how changes affect West Virginians in the real world.

This isn’t something that can be handled with assumptions or soundbites—it requires real dialogue.

2) We got direct communication with the WV Department of Agriculture (WVDA)

We reached out to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, and they made it clear they’re actively having discussions internally and with members of the legislature about the implications of federal hemp changes.

Their message, in plain language, was this:

Hemp is agriculture—and it’s their duty to protect the industry while keeping products safe and legal. They’re committed to doing what they can to protect it.

That matters, because hemp isn’t just “a product category.” It’s an agricultural supply chain that includes farmers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, and compliance systems. When hemp is treated like agriculture and regulated properly, it can safely exist as part of a responsible state economy.

3) We brought the story to the media—local, state, and national

Policy decisions don’t happen in a vacuum. Public understanding influences political action, and public pressure can force lawmakers to pay attention.

So we went broad:

• We contacted 55+ local and state papers

• We contacted 30+ national news outlets

• We participated in multiple interviews

• And yes—one of them was with CNN

  
  

We did this for one reason: to make sure this issue doesn’t get decided quietly, without public awareness, and without the voices of responsible businesses and community members in the room.

4) We coordinated a roundtable meeting with leaders in the West Virginia alcohol industry

This part is important.

We’ve been coordinating a meeting with leading representatives in the West Virginia alcohol industry, and here’s what we’re seeing so far:

West Virginia alcohol distributors support hemp and are fighting to keep it, while some of the larger entities and manufacturers are petitioning against it.

That distinction matters.

Distributors live inside a regulated framework every day. They understand compliance, enforcement realities, and what it takes to keep products controlled and accountable in a state market.

We’ll keep you updated after the meeting. Who supports hemp, who doesn’t, and why, will influence how this issue evolves politically.

5) We met with the Pennsylvania Hemp Guild to learn what surrounding states are doing

We also met with the Pennsylvania Hemp Guild to better understand what kind of frameworks other states are considering—and what approaches are proving effective.

When policy conversations get messy, it’s easy for states to react emotionally or copy-paste bad solutions. We’re committed to learning from surrounding states and from experienced advocates so West Virginia can move thoughtfully and strategically.

The goal is not chaos. The goal is a stable, enforceable framework that protects consumers while allowing legitimate hemp businesses to survive and grow.

6) We rough-drafted a potential bill to present this WV session

Even though West Virginia’s current regulatory framework is solid, federal changes could create confusion or pressure at the state level.

So we roughed out a possible bill option for this legislative session—not because we want to reinvent the wheel, but because we want to be prepared with clear, workable solutions if lawmakers start looking for direction.

A clear state framework—like:

• tighter definitions,

• policies that encourage more West Virginia-made hemp products,

• thoughtful guardrails for ABC-licensed beverage sales,

• and stronger compliance standards—

could help lawmakers feel confident protecting the industry instead of defaulting to a ban.

We’re still tracking what happens federally and within West Virginia before deciding whether we’ll formally push this and pursue co-sponsors. But we wanted to do what responsible businesses do: prepare options, not panic.

What happens next (and what this series will cover)

This blog is Part 1 of Regulate, Don’t Eliminate. In the next parts, we’ll break down:

• what “federal hemp changes” actually mean (without the legal jargon)

• what a responsible WV hemp framework could look like

• what we learn from meetings and stakeholder conversations

• how consumers and small businesses can advocate effectively—without misinformation

• 
  

Our goal is to keep this understandable, factual, and grounded in real actions, not rumors.

How you can help right now

If you want to support responsible hemp policy in West Virginia:

1. Contact your representatives. Ask them where they stand on hemp regulation and whether they support a framework that keeps hemp legal and safe.

2. Share accurate information. Confusion fuels bad policy. Share resources, not panic.

3. Follow this series. We’ll keep posting updates as this evolves, so you don’t have to guess what’s happening.

   
   

Final word: regulate, don’t eliminate

We’re doing this because we believe West Virginia deserves better than a blanket ban.

We can protect public safety and protect farmers and small businesses. We can build standards without wiping out an entire industry. And we can make decisions based on facts, not fear.

This is just Part 1—and we’ll keep you updated.

Regulate. Don’t eliminate.