North Carolina
Delta 9, CBD gummies, other hemp-derived products target of NC House Bill
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) — A house bill that would create new restrictions on popular hemp-derived consumables like CBD gummies and Delta 9 is quickly moving through the state legislature.
HB 328 would ban certain hemp-derived products outright, restrict sales of other products like CBD and Delta 9 to adults 21 and older, and ban the products from educational property altogether, regardless of age.
Some small business owners who sell the impacted products say they support more industry oversight, but they’re concerned this bill could do more harm than good.
“We should really make sure that we find a way to continue to allow those products to be available and (HB) 328’s definition is just not strong enough to protect that,” said Eric Stahl, co-owner of Modern Apotheca, a hemp dispensary in North Raleigh.
While there are currently no state laws specifically limiting the consumption of hemp products to a certain age group, Stahl said they already restrict access to their shop — let alone who can purchase their products.
“You come through an age-gated location, your ID is checked, you’re then permitted to come in. Once we know that you’re 21 plus and that ID is verified, then you’re allowed to look at our products,” Stahl said.
Stahl said he’s lobbied for another bill, SB 265, that seeks to regulate the hemp industry and would transfer oversight to North Carolina ABC. That bill has failed to get out of committee for several years. He’s concerned HB 328 would punish hemp dispensaries because some vendors of hemp consumables are acting irresponsibly.
SEE ALSO | Governor Stein announces advisory council tasked with cannabis product safety, regulations
“Like any industry, you have people who get in the business to be a member of their community and serve a need. Or you might get into business because you’re profit-driven,” Stahl said.
During Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, several lawmakers expressed concerns about the hemp products in question — and their ease of access for younger North Carolinians.
“We need to put the age restriction on purchasing THC beverages and these hemp products to over 21. We need to make sure that we address the packaging aspects — not looking like things that children can get their hands on,” said Senator Benton Sawrey, a Republican from District 10.
Others said their primary goal was to remove less vetted products from the market. Stahl says the regulations put forth in HB 328 could lead to more bans on hemp products that the federal government has cleared for consumption.
“What we don’t want to do is throw the baby out with the bath water, which is saying that hemp products in North Carolina should not be available,” he said.
HB 328’s quick movement through the legislature comes just after Governor Stein announced an advisory council tasked with establishing more regulations around cannabis in North Carolina.
ABC11 reached out to several sponsors for SB 265 with questions on where that bill stands, and is waiting to hear back.
Copyright © 2025 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers
Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:
BERTIE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)
CARTERET COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)
CRAVEN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)
DUPLIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)
EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)
GREENE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)
HYDE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)
JONES COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)
LENOIR COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)
MARTIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)
ONSLOW COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)
PAMLICO COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)
PITT COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)
TYRRELL COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
30.49% (723 out of 2,371)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)
WAYNE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)
North Carolina
Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.
The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.
Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.
SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend
Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo
Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
North Carolina Rep. Valerie Foushee holds narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam
Nida Allam in 2022; Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) in 2025.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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Jonathan Drake/Reuters; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee holds a narrow lead over challenger Nida Allam in the Democratic primary for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional district as ballots continue to be counted.
In a race seen as an early test of whether Democratic voters desire generational change within the party, Foushee holds a lead of just over 1,000 votes with 99% of results in so far, according to the Associated Press.
Under state law, provisional votes will be counted in the coming days in a district that includes Durham and Chapel Hill. If the election results end up within a 1% margin, Allam could request a recount.
Successfully ousting an incumbent lawmaker is often extremely difficult and rare. However, there have been recent upsets in races as some voters are calling for new leaders and several sitting members of Congress face primary challengers this cycle.
Allam, a 32-year-old Durham County Commissioner, is running to the left of Foushee, 69, framing her candidacy as part of a broader rejection of longtime Democratic norms.
On the campaign trail, Allam ran on an anti-establishment message, pledging to be a stronger fighter than Foushee in Congress, both in standing up against President Trump’s agenda and when pushing for more ambitious policy.
“North Carolina is a purple state that often gets labeled red, but we’re not a red state,” she told NPR in an interview last month, emphasizing the need to address affordability concerns. “We are a state of working-class folks who just want their elected officials to champion the issues that are impacting them.”
She drew a contrast with the congresswoman on immigration, voicing support for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Foushee has declined to go that far, advocating instead for ICE to be defunded and for broader reforms to the federal immigration system.
Allam also clashed with Foushee over U.S. policy towards Israel. As a vocal opponent of Israel’s war in Gaza, Allam swore off campaign donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups, such as AIPAC, and repeatedly criticized Foushee for previously accepting such funds.
Though Foushee announced last year that she would not accept AIPAC donations this cycle, she and Allam continued to spar over the broader role of outside spending in the race.
Their matchup comes four years after the candidates first squared off in 2022, when Allam lost to Foushee in what became the most expensive primary in the state’s history, with outside groups spending more than $3.8 million.
However, this year is poised to break that record. Outside groups have reported spending more than $4.4 million on the primary matchup, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
WUNC’s Colin Campbell contributed to this report.
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