Two House bills aiming to bar vapes and hemp-derived products from North Carolina schools are gaining traction.

House Bill 328 would mandate that public schools and certain private schools — such as those that took state money for Opportunity Scholarship vouchers — adopt a policy prohibiting what the bill describes as hemp-derived consumable products inside school buildings, grounds and at school-sponsored events.

It would also expand the state’s definition of tobacco products to cover vapor products, thus banning them under existing laws that already restrict tobacco use in school settings. The other bill, House Bill 329, would “encourage” private schools to forbid these items on their premises.

Rep. Carla Cunningham, a Charlotte Democrat, said several North Carolina schools ”are facing vaping problems on campuses, leading to fire alarms being pulled, bathroom closures and increased disciplinary measures.”

She said that in Mecklenburg County there have been over 750 incidents since the start of the new year.

And in Gates County in northeastern North Carolina, she said, the sheriff’s office has reported collecting 100 vapes from students since the start of 2024, with about 75 of them found in bathrooms.

Marijuana — both for recreational and medical purposes — remains illegal in North Carolina. Its key psychoactive component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), delivers the drug’s “high.”

Hemp, however, was fully legalized in North Carolina in 2022, after a temporary pilot program. This followed a 2018 federal decision to exclude hemp — defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC — from marijuana’s legal classification. There are no age limits under state or federal law on buying or using hemp products.

Hemp can yield products like cannabidiol (CBD) oil and items with delta-8 or delta-9 THC, all of which the bills would prohibit in schools.

Delta-8, sometimes dubbed “weed light,” is legally sold in North Carolina but flagged by the Food and Drug Administration as lacking safety tests.

These substances often appear in gummies, oils, foods, and other forms, frequently packaged in vibrant designs that might attract children.

Other bill primary sponsors are Republican Reps. Donnie Loftis, Donny Lambeth and Larry Potts.

Both bills passed the House education committee.

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