In 2018, the U.S. federal government passed the Farm Bill, also known as the Agriculture Improvement Act, which legalized hemp and its derivatives nationwide.
This landmark legislation differentiates between hemp, defined as cannabis plants containing 0.3% or less THC by dry weight, and marijuana, which refers to cannabis plants exceeding that THC threshold.
While the Farm Bill did legalize hemp, it maintained the status of marijuana as an illegal Schedule I substance. However, the Biden administration has stated potential changes ahead.
Recently, the administration expressed intentions to pardon all federal simple marijuana possession offenses and encouraged states to follow suit. There's also talk of reassessing marijuana's classification under the Controlled Substances Act.
Currently, hemp-derived cannabinoids are the only federally legal form of cannabis. Yet, despite hemp’s federal legality, not all states have aligned with this stance. This brings us to South Carolina—what is the legal status of delta 9 in the state?
South Carolina aligns with the federal position, allowing the sale, purchase, and use of hemp-derived cannabinoids, provided they contain no more than 0.3% THC.
In 2019, South Carolina enacted House Bill 3449, which legalized all derivatives of hemp including cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds, and also removed these substances from the state’s controlled substances list.
According to HB 3449:
(6) 'Federally Defined THC Level For Hemp' Means A Delta-9 THC Concentration Of Not More Than 0.3 Percent On A Dry Weight Basis, Or The THC Concentration For Hemp Defined In 7 U.S.C. SECTION 5940, Whichever Is Greater.
(8) 'Hemp' Or 'Industrial Hemp' Means The Plant Cannabis Sativa L. And Any Part Of That Plant, Including The Nonsterilized Seeds Thereof And All Derivatives, Extracts, Cannabinoids, Isomers, Acids, Salts, And Salts Of Isomers, Whether Growing Or Not, With The Federally Defined THC Level For Hemp. Hemp Shall Be Considered An Agricultural Commodity.
(9) 'Hemp Products' Means All Products With The Federally Defined THC Level For Hemp Derived From, Or Made By, Processing Hemp Plants Or Hemp Plant Parts, That Are Prepared In A Form Available For Commercial Sale, Including, But Not Limited To, Cosmetics, Personal Care Products, Food Intended For Animal Or Human Consumption, Cloth, Cordage, Fiber, Fuel, Paint, Paper, Particleboard, Plastics, And Any Product Containing One Or More Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids, Such As Cannabidiol. Unprocessed Or Raw Plant Material, Including Nonsterilized Hemp Seeds, Is Not Considered A Hemp Product.