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Virginia subcommittee lays hemp-definition bill on table after safety and enforcement concerns
Summary
A Virginia House subcommittee adopted a substitute to align the state hemp definition with the federal standard, heard extensive testimony for and against it, and then voted 10–0 to gently lay the bill on the table while requesting further study by VDACS.
Delegate Converse Fowler introduced HB 2,775 and its substitute as a technical change to align Virginia’s hemp-product definition with the federal standard, saying the measure would “clarify Virginia's definition of hemp product by aligning it with the federal definition.”
The bill drew lengthy testimony from hemp growers, processors and students who said the state’s current rules — including a 25:1 CBD-to-THC ratio in state code alongside the 0.3% THC threshold — have harmed small farmers and businesses. Eric Spannbauer, owner of East Coast Collective, said the change is limited: “The only thing that we are trying to change is the definition of hemp.” Multiple business owners and Virginia Tech student groups told the subcommittee the…
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