By James Brooks, Alaska BeaconMarijuana plants are seen at a secured growing facility in Washington county, N.Y.
Some nonintoxicating products will also be affected by the changes. So-called “full-spectrum” hemp products intended to help with epilepsy and pain include a variety of cannabinoids, including some now restricted by the state’s industrial hemp program. Manufacturers will have to either extract and combine specific chemicals in isolation or seek approval through the marijuana regulatory process, adding time and expense.
, cannabis plants that contain less than 0.3% THC — a common psychoactive chemical — are considered hemp. Plants with more than that amount are considered marijuana, and tightly regulated. Hemp-derived products also are taxed at much lower rates than marijuana, and they can be bought by Alaskans under 21 years old, the minimum age to buy marijuana in Alaska.
Hemp-product manufacturers, like Ferguson, say they’ve spent large sums of money to set up their businesses, only to see the state change the rules.