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Gov. Phil Murphy signed Thursday a contentious hemp bill that had drawn applause from supporters who say it will crack down on dangerous unsanctioned products sold at gas stations and other places and has drawn scorn from those who say the law is so restrictive it could also put legal hemp businesses out of business.
The bill will essentially make it illegal to sell intoxicating hemp products without a cannabis license and will put the products under the purview of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission. Currently, the products are not regulated and, critics say, are too easily available to minors.
In signing the bill, Murphy said what the bill aims to accomplish outweighs the parts of the legislation that have been criticized. One of the flaws of the bill, the governor said, is that it allows places with alcohol stores to sell beverages that contain hemp without the same standards as cannabis stores. It will also put added responsibility on the cannabis commission to enforce additional regulation without additional money, he noted.