Louisiana’s Backdoor Hemp Disappearing Act

High Friends,

I’ve got an update for you about something that went down this week in Louisiana that could have some pretty serious effects on both businesses and consumers in the hemp industry. So, let me walk you through it.

What Happened

On Friday, at exactly 3:24 PM, Louisiana’s Department of Health (LDH) hit the reset button on its approved hemp product list. We're talking about nearly 3,000 products that had been cleared for sale—gone. The list dropped all the way down to just 184 approved products. And here’s where it gets sticky—there was no warning. No heads-up. No communication to the retailers who had those products on their shelves.

Here’s where it gets tricky. Retailers don’t exactly check the approval list every day. They assume that once a product is approved and listed, it’s good to go. And, honestly, they shouldn’t have to check it repeatedly. The system doesn’t notify them if an item is removed—so they have no way of knowing until they’re contacted directly.

That’s what happened. I reached out to some of the business owners I know—CBD store owners, convenience store owners, bars—and guess what? None of them had heard anything about it. They were all blindsided by this change.

Why This Matters:

Here’s why you need to pay attention to this.

• Retailers Are at Risk: Businesses that sell hemp products are now at risk of violating their licenses. If they sell products that are no longer approved, they could face penalties or even lose their license altogether. That’s a real hit to a small business that’s just trying to make a living and follow the rules.

• Timing Is Everything: The timing of this is just brutal. These are the busiest sales months of the year—Super Bowl and Mardi Gras season. And just like that, retailers are thrown into chaos without any warning. For a business that’s been planning around this, it's not just an inconvenience—it could put them out of business if they can’t pivot quickly enough.

What Does This Mean for Consumers:

For all of us, it means that the hemp market is more unpredictable than we’d like it to be. Products we’ve come to trust could be pulled from the shelves with no notice, leaving consumers scrambling to find alternatives. And all of this happens behind the scenes, without any transparency or communication from the brands or regulators.

Why This Should Matter to You:

Whether you’re a consumer of hemp products, a small business owner, or someone just passionate about the future of cannabis, this story highlights the fragile state of the hemp industry. It’s a reminder that we need to stay informed and be proactive about protecting consumer rights and ensuring that small businesses have a chance to thrive. Without a strong voice for the consumer, we’re all at risk of being left behind in this mess.

What’s Next:

As this situation continues to unfold, we’ll be keeping an eye on how businesses respond, how lawmakers react, and how we, as consumers, can keep pushing for change. Louisiana has given businesses a 30-day grace period to fix things, but here’s the catch: what exactly are they fixing? That still hasn’t been clearly communicated. 

The issue remains that what’s been presented to the public and what small businesses are hearing on the ground don’t match up. The tidbits of information that have surfaced through conversations with small businesses and industry contacts contradict the official narrative. There’s still no clarity, and that’s a problem that needs to be addressed right now.

I’ll keep you updated as things evolve, but in the meantime, if you’re a hemp product buyer or seller, it’s crucial to stay in the know about local regulations and what’s going on in your state. The landscape can change in an instant.

Thanks for sticking with me through this wild ride and for being part of this community that cares about making a difference in the world of hemp and cannabis.

Stay Informed (and Higher and Drier) My Friends ✌️

Monica