When Jeremiah Leggett started his hemp farm in 2019, he never thought he'd be at risk of losing it just seven years later.
"It's super concerning and there's a lot of fear," Leggett said.
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The fear comes from changes to federal hemp laws that could make the THC-infused gummies, oils, even cookies on Leggett's shelves illegal later this year.
"As a hemp grower, you got to take a chance. Do I even grow this year?" Leggett said.
The bill ending the government shutdown last fall included a provision limiting the amount of THC allowed in hemp products.
THC is the intoxicating ingredient in cannabis.
Current federal law allows hemp products to have 0.3% THC on a dry-weight basis. If the changes go into effect this November, hemp products would be restricted to 0.4 milligrams of all THC per container.
Those pushing for the change say it will make it hard for shoppers to buy highly potent products, but growers like Leggett argue it would gut most of, if not all, of his product's effects.
"It essentially gets rid of all the products," Leggett said. "That doesn't allow us to create anymore product. So, 99% of what you see on the hemp shelves will be taken away.
He warns many of the CBD and hemp shops that have popped up in recent years could be forced to close.
While federal laws may be changing, for the time being many THC-infused hemp products remain legal under North Carolina law. The change sets up a clash between federal and state laws, raising questions about enforcement.
"Nationwide, at least, it's a multi-billion-dollar industry, and I think North Carolina is a big chunk of that because we've been producing a lot of hemp," said Phil Dixon, Associate Professor of Public Law and Government at UNC-Chapel Hill.
He believes federal officials could leave states along as long as they're operating under a state plan.
"But there's no guarantee of that either," Dixon said. "It would be an odd situation if the federal government was to make it a priority to enforce hemp laws while leaving marijuana legal states alone, but that's not out of the realm of possibilities."
All eyes are now on lawmakers in Raleigh and on Capitol Hill, where Dixon says there is a growing push for more hemp regulations rather than a total ban.
That's something Leggett says he supports, hoping to avoid the sweeping changes that could impact his ability to sell out of state.
For now, he and thousands of others in the industry are preparing for the upcoming growing season with unprecedented uncertainty.
"I've seen so many people's lives changed and so many businesses open that support families and communities. I don't want to see that go away," Leggett said. "It puts us in a difficult position and also as a business owner who sells products, we're at risk to lose our entire business."
In October, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson was among 38 other attorneys general who signed a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to clarify current hemp laws, saying bad actors have exploited it because of a perceived loophole.