SC Senate approves hemp THC drinks, gummies bill with restrictions

South Carolina Senate advances legislation to legalize hemp-derived THC beverages and edibles, capping months of debate over product regulation.

FILE — statehouse · B.D. Gilfry / CC BY-SA 2.0

The South Carolina Senate has approved a bill legalizing hemp-derived THC drinks and gummies with unspecified restrictions, according to Marijuana Moment. The move follows a contentious regulatory debate: law enforcement urged rejection of hemp product legalization in February, while medical cannabis advocates raised concerns about market dynamics in March.

The approval suggests the chamber favors controlled legalization over an outright ban. However, subsequent coverage indicates the restrictive framework may face challenges—the legislature failed to impose meaningful limits on THC hemp product sales by June, leaving products in a legal gray zone despite earlier legislative intent to restrict them.

Watch whether the bill advances through the full legislature and what specific restrictions ultimately survive final passage, particularly given the subsequent inability to enforce tighter controls and the parallel debate over federal cannabis rescheduling's potential to activate South Carolina's dormant medical marijuana statute.