AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – A bill being voted on in the South Carolina Senate this week could ban most ingestible hemp products and require low-dose THC beverages to be sold only in liquor stores, a move local CBD business owners say would force them to close.
John Boynton owns Vapor Tek USA, a CBD store and dry bar that serves very low milligram THC beverages on tape. No alcohol is sold. Boynton has been sober for more than two years and said his store serves others in similar situations.
“It’s a huge educational process when you come in here, because our goal is to have you leave. And if you’re trying to quit alcohol, is to have a good experience and that be your catalyst to quitting,” Boynton said.
The bill, H3924, would ban most ingestible hemp products and move low-dose THC drinks into liquor stores. VaporTek USA and YourCBD Aiken, located across the street, are among the local businesses that say the bill would close their doors.
Jim Olson, owner of YourCBD Store Aiken, said the legislation does not account for specialty retailers.
“If they were really concerned about small businesses, as well as the people using this for therapeutics, they would have created a carve out for a hemp licensing or hemp retail sales capability for specialty stores like mine,” Olson said.
Supporters of H3924 and two related bills still in the House say the hemp industry needs tighter regulations. Aiken Rep. Melissa Oremus sponsors one of them.
“We just want to make sure the consumer, when they have an option to buy, that they get the best products that they can that will not harm them,” Oremus said.
Oremus said the bill banning many chemicals found in ingestible products would keep more people safe. She also said moving sales to stores with a liquor license could help keep the products away from minors.
“If the government, the federal government, says it’s illegal, it should be illegal. You know, it’s just trying to come up with the best solution for all and to keep the most people safe,” Oremus said.
Boynton said his store serves customers seeking alternatives to prescription drugs and alcohol.
“We get to see every day and hear customers who want to be free from prescription drugs. They want to be free from the grips of alcohol,” Boynton said.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.