ADVOCACY ACTION ALERT: Don’t Let the State Monopolize Your Shelves!

The pending state bill H4758 is moving fast. While we support new safety and testing standards for THC-infused beverages and gummies, there is a "poison pill" in the current language: it would restrict all sales exclusively to ABC stores. 

If this passes as-is, independent retailers across the state will be forced to pull these high-demand products from their shelves. This isn't just about regulation, it’s about the state picking winners and losers while small businesses lose a vital revenue stream.

We encourage every small business owner to flood the inboxes of their state legislators. We aren't asking for zero oversight; we are asking for a level playing field where local shops can sell these products as long as they follow the proposed new rules and regulations.

It takes 2 minutes. Here is how you help:

1. Find your legislators: Use your address to search and find your State Legislators

2. Personalize the template: Customize our pre-written draft below to make your voice heard.

3. Send it TODAY: The bill will be heard on the House floor on March 24 and they need to hear from the people who actually power the local economy. If you would like to go to the state house on March 24, let Jordan know. 

Bottom Line: You’ve done the work to build this market. You shouldn't be forced out of it just as the rules are being finalized. Let’s protect your right to compete.

Sample email template:

URGENT: Protect Small Businesses – Amend H4758

Dear Representative/Senator [Last Name],

As a constituent and the owner of [Name of Business] in [City/District], I am writing to express my strong opposition to the current language in H4758 regarding the sale of THC-infused beverages and gummies.

Specifically, I am asking you to strike the provision requiring these products to be sold exclusively through ABC stores.

While I fully support the bill’s intent to implement rigorous safety standards, testing, and age-verification requirements, the ABC-exclusive mandate would have a devastating impact on local retailers. Here is why this provision must be removed:

• Economic Impact: Hemp-derived THC products are a significant and growing revenue stream for independent retailers. Granting a monopoly to ABC stores will strip local businesses of their livelihood and give it to a state-run entity.

• Infrastructure for Compliance: Small businesses are already experts at age-restricted sales. We have the systems in place to verify IDs and ensure these products remain out of the hands of minors — just as we do with other regulated goods.

• Support for Fair Regulation: We are not asking for a "wild west." We welcome the safety and labeling standards proposed in H4758. We simply ask for the right to continue selling these products provided we abide by those new regulations.

Please do not let H4758 become a bill that picks winners and losers at the expense of your local business community. I urge you to support an amendment that allows all licensed retailers to carry these products under the bill’s regulatory framework.

I look forward to hearing your position on this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name] [Your Business Name] [Your Address/Phone Number]

Want to know more?

As of March 2026, South Carolina House Bill 4758 and its regulatory companion, H4759, are the focal points of a heated debate over the future of hemp-derived THC in the state. Lawmakers are attempting to transition what they call a "Wild West" market into a strictly controlled system mirrored after the alcohol industry.

Here is a summary of the pending legislation and the specific provisions small business owners are fighting:

Summary of H4758 (The "Consumable Hemp" Bill)

Originally introduced as a near-total ban, the bill has evolved through several amendments in the House Judiciary Committee and Senate subcommittees.

• The "Gummy Ban": As currently drafted, the bill seeks to classify most solid consumable hemp products (gummies, vapes, and tinctures) as "contraband." This would effectively make the possession or sale of these products a criminal offense, punishable under the same statutes as Schedule I controlled substances.

• CBD Exception: Amendments have clarified that non-intoxicating CBD products are not part of the ban, provided they do not produce a psychoactive reaction.

The "ABC Store" Amendment (H4759/Regulatory Framework)

The most controversial part of the legislative package—and the one your email template targets—is the proposed retail structure for THC-infused beverages.

• Retail Monopoly: The current language restricts the sale of hemp-derived beverages (limited to 5mg of Delta-9 THC per serving) exclusively to retail liquor stores (ABC stores).

• The Three-Tier System: It forces these products into the state’s existing alcohol distribution model, requiring manufacturers and wholesalers to pay exorbitant licensing fees (ranging from $25,000 to $50,000).

• Impact on Small Business: By moving these products to liquor stores, the bill would effectively strip revenue from the convenience stores, vape shops, and specialty hemp retailers that currently build and sustain the market.

Key Amendments Under Debate

• The Retail Setting Amendment: Business owners are pushing for an amendment to allow any licensed retailer (who currently handles age-restricted products like beer or tobacco) to sell these beverages, rather than granting a monopoly to liquor stores.

• The "Gummy" Compromise: Some Senators have proposed regulating gummies similarly to beverages—with age gates and dosage caps—rather than an outright ban, though this remains a point of contention between the House and Senate versions.