Ahead of a federal ban on hemp-derived THC products, online hemp product marketplace Edibles.com is making a bold “long term” bet on the sector by opening its first brick-and-mortar retail location.
And in a signal that Washington may be taking notice and reassessing shutting down the $28 billion hemp industry, delegates from the local Congressional delegation were expected to attend Thursday’s opening of Edibles.com’s new store in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood, the company said.
Edibles.com is the year-old project of Atlanta-based Edible Brands, which opened the e-commerce marketplace in March 2025. At the time, the company also announced its intent to open physical retail – the prototype for a limited franchising program.
But in the interim, President Donald Trump signed into law a spending bill that also redefined hemp to eliminate protections afforded under the 2018 Farm Bill. Starting in November, any hemp-derived product with more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container becomes contraband.
That’s created significant anxiety and uncertainty across the hemp THC sector, and has convinced many hemp farmers to dial back cultivation considerably.
Can the federal hemp THC ban be stopped?
But there’s a belief that Edibles.com’s first physical hemp THC store, where retail staff are trained to guide curious customers through the products on offer, could play a role in salvaging the sector, the company said.
“Consumers are already seeking out these products, and it’s critical to show what this category looks like in a regulated, responsible environment,” Thomas Winstanley, general manager and executive vice president of Edibles.com, said in a statement.
“This store allows us to engage directly, helping people understand how these products may fit into their lives, whether that’s managing stress, replacing alcohol, or improving sleep. These are conversations best had face-to-face.”
Winstanley recently returned from a lobbying trip to Washington, where he advocated for regulation instead of a ban, a spokesperson said.
Can hemp THC survive when medical cannabis access is expanded?
The store’s launch also comes as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is weighing whether to sign an expansion of Georgia’s medical cannabis program into law.
Currently limited to low-THC oil, Georgia MMJ patients would be able to access vaporizable cannabis product for the first time and would see the allowable THC in products raised from 5% to 50% if Senate Bill 220 is signed into law.
The bill would also expand access to new product formats, including vape pens, which advocates say offer faster relief for patients.
That could trigger growth in what’s been a stagnant MMJ industry in Georgia.
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Like other states with limited cannabis access, a restrictive MMJ program is responsible in part for the explosive growth of hemp-derived THC products in Georgia.
According to the state Department of Public Health, just over 33,000 patients were registered to receive medical cannabis in Georgia as of July. That’s up from 25,000 patients in November 2024.
It’s unclear whether Kemp intends to sign the bill, according to Atlanta-based NBC affiliate WXIA.
