A week after a federal judge let Virginia's 2mg hemp THC cap take effect, the businesses that sued have not said whether they will appeal, and no other South Atlantic state moved on hemp beverage law this week.
SOUTH ATLANTIC, August 26, 2026: Virginia's 2-milligram total THC per package cap remained in effect this week, and the hemp businesses that sued to block it have not said whether they will appeal U.S. District Judge Robert Ballou's ruling to the Fourth Circuit. Chap Petersen, the former state senator representing the plaintiffs, has said only that the businesses retain a claim for monetary damages and that he has spoken informally with state lawmakers about a legislative fix, according to Richmond BizSense. No special session of the General Assembly has been called.
Elsewhere in the region, no state introduced, passed, or ruled on hemp beverage legislation this week. North Carolina's House has not yet formally announced the working group Speaker Destin Hall promised on House Bill 328, and South Carolina's THC restriction effort remains closed out for the 2025-2026 legislative session. Georgia, Florida, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington DC saw no beverage-specific regulatory or industry developments.
The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority's board next meets September 9, and the DC Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board's summer recess runs through September 15, both dates to watch for the region's next developments.
Forma works embedded on hemp and THC beverage formulation and commercial scale-up, from compliant dosing and label claims through co-packer qualification. This wire is a byproduct of the same regulatory tracking that informs that work.
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