North Carolina’s Hemp Industry Is at Risk — And Thousands of Families Could Pay the Price

Proposed federal and state hemp policy changes threaten to dismantle one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing regulated industries. If enacted, these policies could eliminate access to legal hemp products for millions of adults, shut down locally owned businesses across the Triangle, and put hundreds of thousands of American jobs at risk.

This is not a theoretical issue. It’s already affecting real people, real families, and real communities.

A Small Business Story That Represents a Much Bigger Problem

We own Sherlocks Glass & Dispensary, a locally owned business with storefronts in Raleigh, Durham, and Wake Forest.

We employ 11 full-time staff members, all with families who depend on this work. We also serve a massive customer base throughout the Triangle who rely on legal hemp products for calm, balance, and quality of life.

Contrary to the public narrative, our average customer is over the age of 50. Many are retirees, professionals, and parents — not teenagers, not college kids, and not thrill-seekers.

If the hemp ban moves forward as proposed, these customers will lose access to products they already use responsibly and legally.

We Didn’t Start as a Dispensary — We Started as an Art Gallery

Sherlocks began in 2015 as Sherlocks Glass Art Gallery, one of the first spaces in the Southeast dedicated to underground functional glass art.

At a time when this art form was largely misunderstood and pushed into the shadows, we treated it as what it is: fine art.

Our Durham location is recognized by the City of Durham as a fine art gallery
We are part of the Downtown Durham Third Friday Art Walk
Our gallery helped legitimize an entire creative movement in the region

Today, that same commitment to professionalism and responsibility defines how we operate our hemp business.

The Reality of Hemp in North Carolina (That No One Is Talking About)

We are now one of the largest hemp retailers in the Triangle, and we take cannabis regulation seriously.

Here’s what responsible hemp retail actually looks like:

No sales to anyone under 21
Third-party lab testing on every batch
No packaging designed to appeal to children
Clear labeling and compliant sourcing

We have been self-regulating for years, often more strictly than required.

THC Beverages Are Replacing Alcohol — Especially for Older Adults

One of the least discussed shifts in consumer behavior is happening right now.

We offer nearly 150 different THC beverage options, making us one of the largest THC drink retailers in North Carolina.

And here’s the data journalists keep missing:

Gen Z consumes roughly 80% less alcohol than previous generations
Our average THC beverage customer is a 55+ year-old woman
Many customers are intentionally replacing alcohol with low-dose THC drinks

This is about harm reduction, not intoxication.

Yet current policy discussions lump regulated hemp beverages into the same category as unregulated or illicit products — a mistake with serious consequences.

The Baird Bill Offers a Responsible Path Forward

The Baird Bill, currently proposed in Congress, would provide a two-year extension for hemp regulation.

https://baird.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2520

That time matters.

It would allow:

Clear federal guidelines
Consistent state enforcement
Input from compliant businesses already doing things the right way

What it would not do is promote prohibition.

Prohibition has failed before. Repeating it under a different name will fail again.

Please follow this link and it will automatically send a message to your Congress people telling them that you support the two year Hemp runway and what it means to you in your life.

https://hifa.health/contact-your-lawmakers/?utm_campaign=5292958-Weekly%20Promo%20Emails&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–XdTXvhmmVu2WcEQRviwK3-qvQ5NA6_SptDHAyCh2jf1rF0pDKypQy_kapLlVBPGH39PQT-VAO9b_nsxMy0sj06JL9-A&_hsmi=20753635&utm_content=20753635&utm_source=hs_email

The Economic Impact Is Massive

Hemp businesses like ours:

Rent storefronts that would otherwise sit vacant
Generate millions in sales tax revenue
Donate to local nonprofits
Support an estimated 350,000 American jobs nationwide

Shutting down this industry doesn’t eliminate demand — it pushes it into unregulated markets where no age checks, no lab tests, and no accountability exist.

Why This Story Matters Right Now

The public conversation around hemp is incomplete — and in many cases, inaccurate.

Responsible retailers, older consumers, artists, families, and local economies are being erased from the narrative.

We are asking journalists, policymakers, and community leaders to take a closer look at what’s actually happening on the ground.

Help Us Save a Regulated, Responsible Industry

This is not about avoiding regulation.
It’s about smart regulation instead of prohibition.

We invite news outlets and writers to:

Speak with our staff and customers
Visit our Durham gallery space
See firsthand how a compliant hemp business operates

The hemp industry deserves fair coverage — and North Carolina deserves better policy.

Media & Press Contact

Alexander Pelliccia
Owner, Sherlocks Glass & Dispensary
Raleigh • Durham • Wake Forest, North Carolina
📞 919-977-9481
📧 support@sherlocksglass.com