Albany, Ore. – The retail arm of Oregon CBD Company, a small family‑run shop at the busy junction of Albany’s main thoroughfares, will close its doors by the end of September. The closure follows a newly enacted federal law that bans most hemp‑derived cannabidiol (CBD) products, effectively ending the state’s hemp retail market.
Local impact of the federal rule
Store manager Leslie Frost said the shelves that once held pet tinctures, topicals and other CBD items are now empty. “The easiest way to explain CBD is that it is like a healthier version of ibuprofen,” Frost told the Capital Chronicle, recalling how she herself turned to CBD after taking 1,200 mg of ibuprofen daily for chronic migraines and knee pain.
While the CBD side of the business shutters, the adjoining Oregon Cannabis Company – a marijuana dispensary owned by the same family – will remain open. Frost emphasized that employees will keep their hours because the dispensary continues to draw customers.
What the law changes
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R‑Ky.) added an amendment to a government‑funding bill that narrows the legal definition of hemp. The amendment repeals the 2018 farm bill provision that allowed hemp plants with THC levels of 0.3% or lower to be cultivated for textiles, animal feed and wellness products.
The new statute bans any “hemp‑derived cannabinoid product” containing more than 0.4 mg of total THC per container. That threshold covers most edibles, tinctures, beverages and pet products. Although the law was slated to take effect in November, Congress pushed the effective date to Dec. 11.
Industry reaction
“The law essentially ends the hemp industry,” said Seth Crawford, co‑owner of Oregon CBD Seeds, which supplies roughly three‑quarters of the nation’s hemp seed. Crawford, whose 50‑acre farm near Highway 99W includes greenhouses, grow tents and solar panels, warned that seed sales will likely drop as processors disappear under the new restrictions.
Crawford, a former public‑policy professional, added that unless Congress revisits the definition, growers will be left with a market for raw seed but few outlets for finished products. “I can kind of understand why it has been swept under the rug while we’re worrying about whether or not we’re going to have free and open elections in November,” he remarked.
Local families feel the loss
Many of the store’s customers were seniors and pet owners who relied on CBD for anxiety, pain relief and arthritis management. Frost noted that the loss of pet‑focused CBD products will be especially hard on older Oregonians seeking non‑impairing relief.
One farmer, who began his hemp seed operation in 2014 after Oregon legalized recreational marijuana, recounted making a CBD oil for his dog, Berkley, that extended the animal’s mobility by nearly four years. “The CBD products that people are expecting to be available to give to their dogs for arthritis or to give to their parents because they’re aging and have aches and pains… they’re not going to have access to them anymore,” Crawford said.
Looking ahead
While the federal ban curtails the retail side of hemp, growers can still cultivate the crop under the new law. Many are now pivoting to selling seed directly to home growers and exploring alternative markets such as industrial hemp for fiber.
State officials have not yet indicated any intention to challenge the federal definition, leaving Oregon’s hemp community to adapt to a dramatically narrowed marketplace.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
