York Co. CBD shops toss tens of thousands of dollars in product before midnight deadline

ROCK HILL, S.C. (WBTV) - In York County, CBD shop owners say they are taking a big financial hit.

They learned Tuesday they had one day to get rid of CBD flower, which has now been deemed illegal there.

“This is a staple of our business” Rock Hill CBD Distribution employee Jacob Stover says. “This is a major part of it.”

Hemp, or CBD flower, this shop says, makes up about a quarter of sales.

“I had a guy came in and he actually bought a full ounce of flower,” Stover says of Wednesday sales. “People are coming in, they’re stocking up.”

Stocking up, because Wednesday marks the last day this type of product will be on the shelves, there.

Tuesday, the York County Solicitor’s Office announced in a press release, it would be illegal to sell, or have any hemp flower there, beginning at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. Oil or lotions are still okay, but anyone with hemp flower could face criminal charges.

“When you come in and say, ‘you have a day to get rid of it,’ not only is it very, very insulting and disappointing, but it’s also infuriating,” Stover says.

It is a big financial loss, the employees of Rock Hill CBD Distribution say. Their stock laid across the counter Wednesday is priced at tens of thousands of dollars.

In his statement, Solicitor Kevin Brackett cites the opinion of Attorney General Alan Wilson back in July, that possession of hemp flower without a license is illegal in South Carolina.

Shop owners say there has been confusion, because they heard about all this through the media.

“It’s been unclear what necessarily needs to be done,” Stover says. “When you don’t have an official document from the person telling you you can’t have this, or you don’t have somebody coming in who is actually working with the government, that says ‘Hey, this is for sure.’”

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