Wilmington hemp dispensary fears federal THC restrictions could force closure

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) — Local hemp dispensaries are bracing for sweeping federal restrictions on hemp-derived THC products that are scheduled to take effect this fall.

A provision included in the funding bill that ended the federal government shutdown in November 2025 changes the federal definition of hemp and excludes many products currently sold by dispensaries.

The law sets a limit of 0.4 milligrams of combined total THC per container for finished hemp-derived cannabinoid products. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis. The restriction is scheduled to take effect Nov. 12.

Catalina Svec, who works at Evergreen Apothecary in Wilmington, said the restrictions would eliminate most of the store’s inventory and could force the business to close.

“Most of what we sell is going to be banned, we will have to either sell something else or sell nothing at all, it will basically end in closing the business,” Svec said.

Svec said she is also concerned about what the restrictions could mean for customers who rely on hemp-derived products for medicinal purposes.