ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) —A provision in a federal funding law that caps THC in most hemp-derived consumer products takes effect Dec. 11, and an Albany shop owner says it could cost his business about half of the products customers come in to buy.

The cap is 0.4 milligrams per container. For businesses like Good Life Vapor, the restrictions could mean losing about 50% of those products.

Jeremy Dollar, Good Life chief executive officer, said the store serves many older customers.

“We service a lot of the older crowd in the area. So, it’s mainly vape stuff, and it’s hemp, mushroom stuff, and then a lot of wellness products, Kratom and Kava as well,” Dollar said.

Under the cap, the store could lose nearly everything in one section of the shop.

“We would only be able to sell maybe 1% of what’s in this room right now,” Dollar said.

Dollar estimates the change could cost his business about $600,000 a year. He said he is prepared to keep fighting to stay open. He is worried about customers who depend on the store for aches and pains and for help trying to stop smoking.

“And our concern is, you know, what are our customers going to do whenever there’s not a better alternative for them? You know, we’re worried about people going to the streets. We’re worried about people doing all kinds of things. You know, going back to ways that are harmful to them rather than the alternative,” Dollar said.

Dollar said his store follows the rules, including checking IDs and choosing products that help people without getting them high. He said he believes businesses that follow those rules are being hurt while other sellers continue to operate outside of them.

Another owner describes closing her business

Diane Nether, of Nether’s Hemp & CBD, said she understands that concern. She and her husband ran a hemp and CBD business for about two years before pausing it.

“There are stores around here that are selling this under the table, products that I was afraid to sell. It’s the ones that are doing right, the small businesses that are doing the right thing. But the large businesses that they can get by with so much with greed, they can get by with it. Well, you as a small business, you’re just losing all the way around,” Nether said.

Nether said keeping up with changing regulations became too expensive. She said customers started looking elsewhere for products she could not legally sell.

“I wasn’t going to go outside the law and try to sell it to somebody,” Nether said.

Businesses have weeks to prepare

Dollar said he will always follow the law and sell what is allowed.

“Still, all of our topicals will be available. But as far as everything else goes, I can’t guarantee anything. With the way that the law is written now, nothing makes it except for topicals,” Dollar said.

The restrictions take effect Dec. 11, giving businesses weeks to prepare.

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