— Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) August 8, 2026 https://platform.x.com/widgets.jsThe fight centered on a federal hemp crackdown Congress approved in November 2025. Budd publicly pushed back on that argument, questioning why preserving medical access to CBD required continued retail availability of intoxicating hemp products. The coalition included several North Carolina groups — the NC Craft Brewers Guild, North Carolina Cannabis Chamber, North Carolina Healthy Alternatives Association, and North Carolina Hemp Businesses for Responsible Regulation — along with national organizations including the US Hemp Roundtable, National Restaurant Association, and the National Association of Convenience Stores. That means the state prohibition could remain in place even if Congress delays, rewrites, or ultimately backs away from the federal restrictions. “Federal hemp fight puts Budd at center of debate also dividing NC legislature” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.