CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – An eastern Iowa hemp distributor said his business is having trouble navigating Iowa’s new THC and hemp law.

Last legislative session, lawmakers passed a law that imposes an age limit and reduces the amount of THC allowed in hemp-derived products.

Corey Coleman said he worked with his attorney to make sure he was in compliance when the new law took effect, but he still struggles to put a product on shelves in Iowa, even after the state initially approved it.

“We are down significantly from last year.” » Coleman said.

Coleman said he and his attorney reviewed several products to make sure what he was asking to sell would comply with Iowa state law. He said he was able to get 14 of the 15 products approved fairly quickly afterward.

“We started selling drinks; these were the easiest to bring into compliance. Then we have the Skysicles, which are like freeze pops, and we have our four mixers,” Coleman said.

He thought he was off to a good start in making products legal to sell in Iowa again, but after two months he said four of his products had been debunked. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services sent him a letter saying it was studying the product and another saying it was no longer allowed to sell it.

“Our products were designed to allow consumers to prepare and mix their drinks,” Coleman said.

TV9 reached out to HHS for comment on this story and how many calls the department has seen. As of this publication, TV9 has not had a response. But in letters sent to Coleman by HHS, the department ruled that the reason the product was noncompliant was because it was a liquid that, under the new law, had to be sold in a 12 oz. container. Coleman said his product was a syrup mixer.

Coleman thinks this could be a misunderstanding because this process is new to HHS.

“There are a lot of things that still need to be fixed,” Coleman said. “I think we found some regulatory overlap.”

Coleman said he is still working with HHS and has new products he may sell soon.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.