A Success Story for Hemp in Kentucky

Last spring, Trish Tungate, the proprietor of the Minglewood restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky, received notice from a local health official informing her that she could not continue to sell her popular hemp-derived CBD-infused drinks to her customers. Trish was shocked. As the COVID pandemic was beginning to unleash tremendous disruption for restaurants such as hers, how could this ban be possible? Weren’t hemp and CBD legal? And in of all places, in Kentucky: ground zero of the hemp legalization movement?

Trish called Jonathan Miller, the US Hemp Roundtable’s General Counsel for advice. Jonathan immediately called Rocky Adkins, senior advisor to Governor Andy Beshear, who had previously been the sponsor of Kentucky’s original hemp laws when he served as House Majority Leader. Adkins helped set up critical meetings with the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The Roundtable worked closely with the cabinet to develop a new regulatory pathway for CBD in food and beverages. And along with organizations such as the Kentucky Hemp Association, the Roundtable engaged Hemp Supporters in the state to help make the regulations even stronger.

Yesterday, Kentucky finalized its new regulations, which are among the finest in the country. And the Roundtable is continuing to work with the cabinet to ensure fair enforcement policies.

It all started with an entrepreneur making her voice heard. This Women’s History Month, check out the latest episode of USHempTV to hear from Trish Tungate and to learn more about her successful battle in Kentucky. The full interview is below: