11/06/2026

Smoke & Mirrors Episode 10: The Black Market Was Always There

Sense or Nonsense: Prohibition Eliminates the Cannabis Market

Nonsense.

The black market was here long before North Carolina's modern hemp industry.

And decades of cannabis prohibition have not made it disappear.

Now North Carolina faces a consequential question:

What happens when people still want or feel they need a product, but responsible businesses can no longer legally provide it?

For some consumers, hemp-derived products are part of established personal wellness routines.

For others, they represent personal choices about relaxation, sleep, discomfort, or alternatives to alcohol.

The people making those choices are real.

And when access changes, their reasons for seeking products don't necessarily change with it.

That's the part of the conversation lawmakers cannot afford to overlook.

Cannabis Was Here From the Beginning

Cannabis has been part of American agriculture for centuries.

Colonial farmers grew hemp for rope, sails, and cloth. Some colonial governments encouraged or required hemp cultivation because of its economic importance.

George Washington grew hemp at Mount Vernon.

Cannabis also has a history in American medicine. By the nineteenth century, cannabis preparations appeared in the United States Pharmacopeia.

The plant was once part of American agriculture, commerce, and medical practice.

Then the country's relationship with cannabis changed.

How Cannabis Prohibition Began

In 1937, the federal Marihuana Tax Act imposed a tax-and-registration system that severely restricted cannabis commerce.

Cannabis was subsequently removed from the United States Pharmacopeia in the 1940s.

In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act classified marijuana as a Schedule I substance, placing it under some of the federal government's strictest controls.

But prohibition did not eliminate consumption.

An illegal market continued to operate.

And the consequences of enforcement extended far beyond the plant.

Arrests. Criminal records. Incarceration. Barriers to employment. Families affected for years.

Organizations such as the Last Prisoner Project continue to advocate for people harmed by cannabis-related criminalization.

If prohibition hasn't eliminated demand, we have to ask who bears its costs—and whether repeating that approach makes communities safer.

North Carolina's Two Very Different Markets

Here's the mirror.

North Carolina has an established illegal marijuana market.

Estimates cited in discussions by the state's Advisory Council on Cannabis place annual illegal marijuana spending at approximately $3 billion.

At the same time, North Carolina has developed a legal hemp-cannabinoid industry.

According to a January 2026 economic analysis by Whitney Economics, that industry generates an estimated $3.2 billion in annual revenue and supports approximately 16,149 jobs.

These are two different markets.

One operates outside the state's authorized legal retail framework for marijuana.

The other includes hemp businesses operating under existing laws, employing workers, paying taxes, and investing in product standards.

We should not confuse the two.

And we should not ignore what happens when policies make it harder for responsible businesses to remain in the legal marketplace.

What North Carolina's Legal Hemp Economy Contributes

The January 2026 Whitney Economics analysis estimates that North Carolina's hemp-cannabinoid industry contributes:

$3.2 billion in annual industry revenue
16,149 jobs supported
$702.5 million in wages
$87.8 million in state retail sales tax
$1.85 billion in retail-sector revenue
$4.4 billion in total economic impact

These are industry-sponsored economic estimates, not official government counts.

But they illustrate what's at stake.

Farmers.

Manufacturers.

Retailers.

Employees.

Women-owned and family-owned businesses.

Communities supported by jobs, wages, and local spending.

Whitney Economics also modeled highly restrictive policy scenarios that could result in substantial business closures, lost wages, and job displacement.

Those are projections, not losses that have already happened.

But they are warnings worth examining before decisions become irreversible.

When Need Persists but Legal Access Disappears

This is where the consequences become personal.

What happens when a veteran, an older adult, a woman managing her wellness, or another consumer can no longer purchase a familiar hemp-derived product from a responsible business?

Some will stop purchasing it.

Some will look for lawful alternatives.

But others may continue searching for the products they want—and that search could lead them outside the responsible marketplace.

When demand persists but legal access contracts, unregulated sellers may gain an opportunity.

And products from those sources may come without dependable testing, accurate labels, clear ingredient information, or meaningful accountability.

That is not a consumer-safety victory. It is a consumer-safety concern.

We are not saying every consumer will turn to the black market.

We are saying lawmakers must consider the possibility.

Because a restriction that removes a product from a responsible store does not automatically remove the desire for that product.

And when people lose access but still feel a need, the question becomes: Who will meet that demand?

A business committed to testing, transparency, and compliance?

Or a seller with no reason to follow those standards?

At Franny's Farmacy, we believe that question belongs at the center of the policy debate.

Regulation Is Not the Same as a Ban

Franny believes there is a better path.

Responsible regulation should make the legal marketplace safer, stronger, and more accountable—not destroy the businesses working to meet those goals.

That means enforceable standards.

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.

Independent product testing.

Transparent labeling.

Appropriate age verification.

Clear rules for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

And meaningful consequences for businesses that fail to comply.

These protections create a framework in which responsible operators can participate and consumers can make more informed decisions.

They also give regulators practical tools to identify businesses that do not meet the standards.

A well-designed system can protect consumers while preserving a legal path for responsible businesses.

That is the conversation we want North Carolina—and the nation—to have.

The Human Cost Cannot Be Left Out

The history of prohibition also reminds us that policy has consequences beyond commerce.

People have lost opportunities, livelihoods, and freedom because of cannabis enforcement.

The work of the Last Prisoner Project and other criminal justice advocates reminds us that responsible cannabis policy must consider those harmed by past laws.

And as new rules are debated, we must consider the people who may be affected next.

Consumers.

Farmers.

Employees.

Small-business owners.

Families.

A policy that looks simple on paper can become complicated in someone's everyday life.

That is why Franny's Farmacy believes the people most affected deserve a meaningful voice in shaping the future.

Smoke & Mirrors: The Cost of Prohibition

The smoke: Prohibition eliminates the problem.

The mirror: Prohibition has not eliminated demand, and restricting responsible legal access may create opportunities for less accountable sellers.

North Carolina already has a substantial illegal marijuana market.

It also has a legal hemp industry supporting thousands of jobs and significant economic activity.

Those realities deserve to be considered together without treating the two markets as interchangeable.

We should ask whether new policies will improve safety.

We should ask whether they will preserve accountability.

And we should ask what happens to consumers when access is lost.

Because when the need persists, the market doesn't necessarily disappear. It may simply move somewhere harder to regulate.

But this is not where the story has to end.

Looking Forward: Building the Framework for a Better Future

Throughout Smoke & Mirrors, we've examined the claims, the confusion, the science, the people, and the policies shaping hemp's future.

We've asked difficult questions.

We've challenged assumptions.

And we've made one thing clear:

Franny's Farmacy is not against regulation. We are advocating for regulation that works.

Franny believes the next chapter should be about building something better.

Companies like Franny's Farmacy are working to develop and advocate for frameworks for a responsible, regulated hemp system—one that recognizes consumer safety, preserves accountability, and gives compliant businesses a clear path forward.

A system where products are tested.

Where labels tell the truth.

Where age protections are enforced.

Where farmers and responsible businesses can operate under understandable rules.

Where research can continue.

And where the people who depend on this industry have a voice.

A framework that protects the plant, the people, and those who depend on it.

Protecting the plant means respecting hemp's agricultural value, supporting responsible cultivation, and allowing science and innovation to advance.

Protecting the people means prioritizing safety, transparency, education, and informed choices.

Protecting those who depend on it means considering the farmers, workers, families, entrepreneurs, and consumers whose lives may be affected by these decisions.

We know there are legitimate questions about safety and regulation.

We welcome those conversations.

But we believe the answer is to build a better system.

That's the future Franny is fighting for.

And it's the future we invite lawmakers, researchers, farmers, businesses, and consumers to help shape.

The Final Mirror: What Comes Next Is Up to Us

The future of hemp is still being written.

It can be shaped by fear and misunderstanding.

Or it can be shaped by evidence, experience, accountability, and thoughtful regulation.

At Franny's Farmacy, we know which direction we're working toward.

Not a market without rules.

A market with rules that protect people and allow responsible businesses to thrive.

Not an industry that ignores safety.

An industry that makes safety part of its foundation.

Not a future where consumers are pushed into the shadows.

A future where transparency, research, and responsible access can move forward together.

This may be the final installment of Smoke & Mirrors for now.

But the conversation is far from over.

The smoke may be thick. The questions may be difficult. But the path forward is worth fighting for.

Protect the plant. Protect the people. Protect those who depend on it.

Sense or Nonsense? You decide.

Sources and Resources

History, prohibition, and criminal justice

North Carolina hemp economics and regulation

Franny's Farmacy's Position

🌿 THE FUTURE OF HEMP IS AT STAKE. THE CLOCK IS TICKING.

⏳ DECEMBER 11, 2026 — THE FEDERAL HEMP DEADLINE IS APPROACHING.

The December 11 federal hemp restrictions put North Carolina's $3.2 billion hemp industry, approximately 16,000 jobs, thousands of small businesses, farmers, and consumer access at risk.

Explore the legislation. Understand the consequences. Find your lawmakers, access ready-to-use contact scripts, and explore the Save NC Hemp petition.

👉 GET INFORMED & TAKE ACTION — SAVE NC HEMP

For additional North Carolina industry information, explore the NCRBA.

We Support Responsible Regulation. We Oppose Destruction Disguised as Regulation.

GET THE FACTS. SEE WHAT'S AT STAKE. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON. YOUR VOICE MATTERS.

“Don't believe everything you hear through the haze.

There's a difference between what sounds convincing and what's actually true.

Franny's is following the facts, asking the hard questions, and clearing up the confusion.

Don't let the conversation end here.”

Franny's Farmacy | Smoke & Mirrors | Hemp Education & Advocacy

Editorial Note: Smoke & Mirrors combines Franny Tacy's decades of experience in farming, pharmaceuticals, and hemp advocacy with firsthand industry perspectives, public information, and research. This series shares our perspective, examines current and proposed policies, and raises questions to encourage education, transparency, and informed decisions. Not all discussions reflect current law or established outcomes. Content is educational and advocacy commentary, not legal or medical advice.

The Future of Hemp Needs Your Voice.

Stay informed, understand what's at stake, and help protect the future of hemp in North Carolina.

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