When we opened Elevate NC in Knightdale, we knew we were entering a rapidly changing industry. What we didn’t expect was just how quickly the future of hemp in North Carolina would become part of a statewide conversation.

Recently, Elevate NC co-owners Jesse White and Tom Gilson were featured in The News & Observer as lawmakers considered House Bill 328, legislation that could significantly change how hemp-derived products are regulated and sold in North Carolina.

For us, the issue isn’t whether hemp should be regulated.

We believe it should be.

The bigger question is how North Carolina can create responsible regulations that protect consumers, keep products away from minors, and allow legitimate businesses to continue serving adults who choose to use hemp products.

Elevate NC Was Built With Responsible Retail in Mind

From the beginning, we wanted Elevate NC to be different.

We’re not interested in simply putting products on a shelf and making a sale. We’ve worked to create a professional, welcoming retail environment where adults can learn about the products available to them and feel confident about what they’re purchasing.

That commitment extends to keeping hemp products out of the hands of minors.

As The News & Observer noted in its coverage, Elevate NC uses a double-door entrance where customers must show identification before entering the store.

That’s not something we started doing because lawmakers told us to.

It’s part of how we believe a responsible hemp retailer should operate.

We support reasonable age restrictions and meaningful safeguards designed to protect consumers. We also believe responsible businesses should have a voice in determining what effective regulation looks like.

Regulation Should Protect Consumers, Not Eliminate Responsible Businesses

The debate surrounding HB 328 illustrates an important distinction: regulation and prohibition are not the same thing.

Hemp advocates across North Carolina have called for sensible measures including age restrictions, product testing, accurate labeling, and licensing requirements.

Those kinds of conversations matter.

Consumers should know what they’re purchasing. Parents should be able to expect that intoxicating hemp products aren’t being sold to children. Responsible retailers should be held to meaningful standards.

But regulations should also recognize the legitimate businesses, employees, farmers, manufacturers, and customers who have become part of North Carolina’s hemp industry.

For Jesse, that part of the debate is deeply personal.

As he explained to The News & Observer, the owners of Elevate NC invested their savings and retirement money into opening the Knightdale store and pursuing a dream.

“We are highly, highly for regulation, but not shutting us down.”

That’s an important distinction.

We’re not asking North Carolina to ignore legitimate concerns surrounding the hemp industry. We’re asking lawmakers to create thoughtful rules that address those concerns without eliminating businesses that are already trying to do things the right way.

Why This Conversation Matters Beyond Elevate NC

The consequences of North Carolina’s hemp policy extend well beyond our store.

Adults visit hemp retailers for many different reasons and have many different experiences with these products. Tom told The News & Observer that Elevate has encountered customers, including veterans and people dealing with pain or recovering from alcohol abuse, who tell us hemp products have become important to them.

Their experiences are one reason we believe adults deserve access to a safe, transparent and responsibly regulated marketplace.

If legal access disappears, the demand doesn’t necessarily disappear with it.

That’s why we believe North Carolina has an opportunity to build a better system rather than simply removing the existing one.

What Happened With HB 328?

House Bill 328 had already received bipartisan approval in the North Carolina Senate when it returned to the House in August.

The House ultimately declined to take up the conference report before lawmakers left Raleigh.

That means the debate over North Carolina hemp regulation isn’t over.

Lawmakers have indicated that they want additional time to consider the issue, hear from stakeholders and determine how North Carolina should approach hemp products going forward.

We’ll be paying close attention.

More importantly, we hope future conversations include responsible retailers, farmers, manufacturers, consumers, law enforcement officials, public health advocates and others who are directly affected by these decisions.

Good policy should protect North Carolinians while recognizing the realities of the industry that exists today.

Our Commitment to the Elevate NC Community

Whatever happens next in Raleigh, our approach remains the same.

Elevate NC will continue working to provide adult customers with a professional retail experience, carefully selected products, transparency, knowledgeable service and responsible access to hemp-derived products.

We’re proud to be a locally owned business in Knightdale, and we’re grateful that Jesse and Tom had the opportunity to represent Elevate NC and share our perspective as part of this important statewide conversation.

We believe there’s room in North Carolina for consumer protection, responsible regulation and responsible hemp businesses.

Those goals don’t have to compete with one another.

They should be the foundation for what comes next.

Read the full coverage from The News & Observer to learn more about the debate surrounding HB 328 and hear perspectives from lawmakers, law enforcement officials, hemp advocates and Elevate NC owners Jesse White and Tom Gilson.