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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Devon Vince is the co-owner of Hemp Quest Farms and Quest Wellness. He says he hopes President Donald Trump’s recent executive order to reclassify marijuana and increase medical marijuana and cannabidiol research will eventually create more regulation in the industry.
“It’s not changing anything immediately. But we’re super excited to know that in the Oval Office that they were speaking about these products still being around after next year,” Vince said.
He hopes it also creates more clarity for consumers.
“As far as legislation for packaging, testing and making sure that the consumer is safe, which ultimately makes us safe because we can get rid of the bad players out here that are selling fake CBD synthetic cannabinoids and putting misinformation on labeling,” he said.
Vince wants people to be accurately informed about what he says are the benefits of the plant, like how it’s helped him.
“Diagnosed with ADHD and didn’t like a lot of the medications that they were going to try to give me,” Vince said. “My passion for this plant is just nonstop day in and day out.”
Nicole Ryan is a cannabis care registered nurse. She educates customers about which products are best for them, whether it’s an infused drink or topical cream. She says additional research could help legitimize the field.
“Health care consumers already know that this plant can help with x, y, z issue. What the science needs to do is catch up. And now what can happen is we can get our hands on some actual high-quality cannabis to be able to do these types of research studies that they’re requiring,” Ryan said.
Her hope is the decisions made on the federal level will trickle down, and she believes that will create more benefits for North Carolina and consumers.
“North Carolina health care consumers should be purchasing and consuming North Carolina products," she said. "I think it’s the freshest product that they can get, and putting some stipulations on it, regulations, testing, age restrictions, I think will be the most appropriate thing and hoping that the federal government.”
Recreational marijuana is illegal in North Carolina. There are limited uses of medical marijuana, which are legal in the state.
This year Gov. Josh Stein put together an advisory council for the cannabis industry.
Twenty-one Senate Republicans including North Carolina’s Ted Budd went on record opposing the reclassification.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
