Clark County businesses selling hemp and hemp-derived products must now obtain a license, pay a fee and procure valid work cards for employees under a new "Hemp Retail Store" licensing category.
The Clark County Commission this week also enacted rules requiring laboratory testing for potency, microbials, pesticides and heavy metals, with all potential THC calculated and reported in those tests. Artificially derived cannabinoids, intoxicating products and CBD in food are prohibited, and all customers must be 21 or older.
The regulations, approved unanimously by the commission, come in response to a rise in hemp and hemp-derived products.
Vincent Queano, director of business licensing at Clark County, said the local market has grown following changes to federal law. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the federal list of controlled substances and legalized its cultivation and sale nationwide.
Queano told the commission that hemp products containing cannabinoids can pose health risks when contaminated, inaccurately dosed, misrepresented or sold without consumer protections. Many products, he said, also lack rigorous third-party testing or uniform compliance standards, contributing to incorrect labeling, inconsistent potency and greater access by youths.
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