Winston‑Salem has always lived at the intersection of tradition and transition. It’s a city shaped by tobacco, by manufacturing, by faith, and by a long‑standing belief in law‑and‑order governance. For decades, that meant cannabis in any form was treated as a threat to public safety, a vice to be policed, and a cultural line that local leaders refused to cross. But today, as North Carolina’s hemp‑derived cannabinoid industry faces a federal extinction event, Winston‑Salem finds itself pulled into a statewide fight that could redefine how the city understands cannabis, regulation, and economic survival. 

At the center of that fight is CBHD, Cultivating Breakthroughs in Healthy Development, a fast‑growing advocacy group that has become the most organized, politically effective force in North Carolina’s hemp sector. Their work is reshaping the conversation in Raleigh, and Winston‑Salem is one of the places where their impact is most visible. 

The hemp‑derived cannabinoid industry didn’t grow quietly in Winston‑Salem, it exploded. Retailers multiplied across the city, manufacturers set up shop in Forsyth County, and consumers embraced hemp‑derived THC products as a legal alternative in a state where marijuana remains prohibited. The growth of small businesses and economic impact was enormous. Then came the federal government’s 2025–2026 budget negotiations. 

Buried inside a must‑pass funding bill was a provision lowering the allowable THC threshold from 0.3% to 0.4 milligrams total THC — a change so restrictive it would effectively outlaw most hemp‑derived products nationwide. Industry leaders called it an “extinction event.” Retailers in Winston‑Salem described it as a “death sentence.” Farmers warned it would collapse the supply chain they’d spent years building.The crisis was immediate, and it was existential, and that is when CBHD emerged.

 formed in the summer of 2025, Cultivating Breakthroughs in Healthy Development developed initially as a loose network of hemp businesses trying to understand the federal threat. By November, as the ban became law, the group incorporated as a 501(c)(4) and began organizing statewide. Their message was simple: regulate us, don’t eradicate us.Today, CBHD represents more than 6,000 businesses, 16,149 jobs statewide, over $100 million in annual sales. Not surprisingly Winston‑Salem is one of the cities where their coalition is strongest.

CBHD’s leadership logically argues that hemp is not a loophole or a fringe market, it’s a regulated agricultural product, a consumer‑driven industry, and a major employer. They frame hemp not as a cultural issue, but as an economic one. And in Forsyth County, where manufacturing and agriculture still shape the local economy, that argument resonates.

To understand why CBHD’s work matters here, you have to understand Winston‑Salem’s political DNA.For decades, Forsyth County’s approach to cannabis has been shaped by drug‑war policing, church‑driven moral narratives, a cautious, enforcement‑first political culture, and a court system overloaded with low‑level possession cases. Even today, Forsyth’s legislative delegation is split sharply on cannabis. Only Sen. Paul Lowe supports reform, sponsoring a statewide referendum bill that would let voters decide whether to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. The rest of the delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike, remain silent or opposed.

This is the landscape CBHD walked into: a county where cannabis reform has historically been a political nonstarter. But hemp changed the equation.When thousands of Winston‑Salem residents began buying legal hemp‑derived products, and hundreds of local businesses began selling them, cannabis stopped being an abstract cultural issue. It became a local economic reality, one that lawmakers could no longer ignore, although as the current state of chaos in regard to this issue demonstrates, they did. 

The CBHD’s policy agenda meant to guide lawmakers to informed effective regulation is surprisingly conservative. They are not pushing for marijuana legalization. They are not fighting for loopholes. They are advocating for strict regulation of hemp‑derived cannabinoids, including:21+ age limits, child‑resistant packaging, independent lab testing, accurate labeling, retail licensing, and strict enforcement against bad actors.Their flagship bill, SB 265, would create a statewide regulatory framework that mirrors the standards used in medical cannabis states. It’s the kind of bill that appeals to lawmakers who want order, not chaos. In Winston‑Salem, where enforcement culture runs deep, CBHD’s message lands differently than traditional cannabis advocacy. They aren’t asking Forsyth legislators to embrace cannabis. They’re asking them to embrace regulation, consumer safety, and economic stability. That’s a language the Triad understands.

One of CBHD’s most impressive strengths is its ability to unify a historically fragmented industry. Manufacturers, retailers, farmers, and distributors, groups that often operate in isolation, are now speaking with one voice. Among the most visible figures in this coalition is Eliot Eichler, the Chief Marketing Officer at Covert, one of the largest hemp manufacturers operating in the Southeast. Eichler has become a public‑facing strategist within CBHD’s orbit, helping unify messaging and serving as a bridge between large manufacturers and small retailers.His presence matters in Winston‑Salem. Covert’s footprint in the region gives CBHD credibility with lawmakers who want to hear from major employers, not just small shops. Eichler’s messaging is clear, disciplined, and focused on consumer safety and has helped CBHD frame hemp as a legitimate industry, not a loophole.

CBHD’s work has exposed a political divide in Forsyth County.On one side is Sen. Paul Lowe, who supports cannabis reform and backs CBHD’s push for regulation. Lowe has argued that hemp products “are in dire need of regulation” and that the state must act to protect consumers.On the other side is the rest of Forsyth’s delegation, lawmakers who have historically opposed cannabis reform and remain skeptical of hemp. Some support hemp regulation (notably Rep. Donny Lambeth), but most have avoided taking public positions.This divide reflects Winston‑Salem’s broader tension as a city caught between its enforcement‑heavy past and its emerging cannabis‑driven economyIf the federal ban takes effect in November 2026, Winston‑Salem will feel the impact immediately.Retailers will close.Manufacturers will leave the state.Farmers will lose contracts.Consumers will return to the illegal market.Police will face new enforcement burdens.Courts will see new caseloads.

CBHD argues that regulation,not prohibition, is the only path that protects Winston‑Salem’s economy, its families, and its public‑safety infrastructure.And for the first time in decades, Winston‑Salem’s cannabis future is not being shaped by cultural narratives or moral panic. It’s being shaped by policy, economics, and the voices of local businesses.

CBHD’s rise marks a turning point in North Carolina’s cannabis debate. Their work has forced lawmakers, including those in Forsyth County, to confront a reality that no longer fits the old drug‑war script.Winston‑Salem is at a crossroads. The city can cling to its enforcement heavy past, or it can embrace a regulated future that protects consumers, supports businesses, and acknowledges the economic reality already unfolding on its streets. CBHD isn’t asking Winston‑Salem to change its identity, they’re asking it to govern wisely. In a city built on tradition and transition, that may be the most Winston‑Salem argument of all.

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SIDEBAR: 

Who Buys Hemp in Winston‑Salem? A Portrait of the City’s New Cannabis Consumer

Winston‑Salem’s hemp consumers don’t fit the stereotypes that once defined cannabis use in Forsyth County. They’re not fringe, not reckless, and not hiding in the shadows. They are teachers, nurses, warehouse workers, retirees, veterans, and service‑industry employees,simply a cross‑section of the city that reflects Winston‑Salem’s blend of tradition, transition, and quiet pragmatism.The largest consumer bloc is working‑class adults between 30 and 55, many of whom turned to hemp‑derived cannabinoids after years of navigating chronic pain, anxiety, or sleep issues. They’re not chasing a high; they’re chasing relief. For them, hemp is a functional product, a legal alternative to prescription medications that often come with side effects or dependency risks.

Another fast‑growing group is older adults, especially retirees in neighborhoods like Ardmore, Sherwood Forest, and West Salem. These consumers tend to favor low‑dose edibles, tinctures, and topicals. They want clear labeling, consistent dosing, and products that feel medically adjacent. Retailers like Apotheca have become trusted stops because they offer lab‑tested items and patient‑style guidance.

Winston‑Salem’s veteran community is also a major driver of demand. Many vets report using hemp‑derived cannabinoids to manage PTSD symptoms, chronic pain, or sleep disruption. They are among the most vocal supporters of CBHD’s push for regulation, arguing that safe access matters more than political posturing.

Finally, there is a younger cohort, 21 to 30 year olds, largely students and service‑industry workers, who prefer vape products and fast‑acting edibles.They are price‑sensitive but brand‑loyal, gravitating toward retailers that emphasize transparency and testing. Across all groups, one theme is constant: Winston‑Salem consumers want regulation, not chaos. They want age limits, testing, and clear rules not a federal ban that would push them back into the illegal market.These consumers are the reason CBHD’s fight matters here. They are the city’s quiet constituency, the people whose daily lives will change if North Carolina chooses prohibition over policy.

SIDEBAR

Winston‑Salem’s Hemp Retailers — The Front Line of North Carolina’s Cannabis Policy Fight

Winston‑Salem’s hemp retailers have become the unexpected frontline in North Carolina’s cannabis‑policy battle. While lawmakers in Raleigh debate THC caps and regulatory frameworks, it’s the storefronts along Stratford Road, Silas Creek Parkway, and the West End corridor that feel the impact first. These shops aren’t fringe operations, they’re small businesses woven into the city’s economic fabric, serving a customer base that spans working‑class families, veterans, service‑industry workers, and older adults seeking alternatives to prescription painkillers. At the center of the local retail coalition is Cory Flannery, co‑owner of Not Ya Sons Weed (F&W Enterprises), headquartered in the Triad. Flannery has become one of the most vocal Winston‑Salem‑area advocates for “smart regulation,” hosting roundtables, educating customers, and pushing back against the narrative that hemp‑derived cannabinoids are an unregulated free‑for‑all. His Winston‑Salem clientele reflects the city’s shifting attitudes: cautious, curious, and increasingly aware that hemp is not the same as marijuana and that regulation, not prohibition, is the path to safety. Nearby, Apotheca Cannabis Dispensary, led by CEO Leo VanTine II, operates multiple Winston‑Salem locations, including high‑traffic storefronts on Silas Creek Parkway and University Parkway. Apotheca’s presence has helped normalize hemp retail in Forsyth County, offering lab‑tested products, child‑resistant packaging, and consumer education that mirrors medical‑cannabis standards in other states. Their Winston‑Salem stores have become a model for the regulatory framework CBHD is pushing statewide.Smaller shops, from boutique CBD stores in Ardmore to vape‑and‑hemp hybrids along Peters Creek Parkway, round out the city’s retail landscape. Many of these owners have quietly joined CBHD’s coalition, recognizing that the federal THC cap threatens their livelihoods more than any local zoning fight or enforcement action ever could.Together, Winston‑Salem’s hemp retailers form a politically significant bloc: a network of small businesses caught between federal prohibition, state‑level confusion, and a rapidly growing consumer market. Their survival and the city’s emerging hemp economy now depends on whether CBHD’s regulatory vision becomes law.

SIDEBAR

CBHD Leadership & Their Policy Agenda

CBHD’s board represents the full hemp supply chain, manufacturing, retail, distribution, and imports, with members spread across Winston‑Salem, the Triad, Charlotte, and the broader Southeast. Their businesses anchor the coalition’s push for regulation over prohibition.

CBHD Board Members

Leo VanTine III — CEO, AHD, LLC (Charlotte, NC)

Manufacturing executive and CBHD board chair; leads statewide strategy.

Leo VanTine II — CEO, Apotheca Cannabis Dispensary (Multiple NC locations including Winston‑Salem)

Major regional retailer with a strong Forsyth County footprint.

Yasser Abdelhalim — CFO, AHD, LLC (Charlotte, NC)

Oversees financial modeling and economic‑impact analysis.

Jay Fisher — CEO & Co‑Founder, Covert, LLC (Winston‑Salem–adjacent Triad region)

Large‑scale manufacturer; key voice for regulated production standards.

Cory Flannery — Co‑Owner, Not Ya Sons Weed / F&W Enterprises (Triad, NC) Retail coalition leader; organizes education and compliance outreach.

Dustin Brauns — CEO, Modern Distribution (Triad, NC)

Represents statewide logistics and supply‑chain interests.

Vladimir Diudenko — Founder, Distro21.com (Charlotte, NC) Distributor specializing in multi‑state product movement.

Hassan Bhatty — Founder, Rush NC (Charlotte, NC)

Retail and product‑development specialist.

Matt Mitchell — CEO, Hemp and Barrell (Triad, NC)

Focuses on wholesale and product sourcing.

Moe Shibli — COO, J&A Imports (Charlotte, NC)

Oversees national imports and compliance logistics. CBHD’s Policy Requests

21+ age restrictions

ID‑verified sales statewide.

Child‑resistant packaging — Medical‑grade containers for all intoxicating hemp products.

Independent lab testing — Mandatory third‑party potency and contaminant screening.

Accurate labeling — Clear total‑THC disclosure and ingredient transparency.

Retail licensing — Statewide permit system with compliance inspections.

Enforcement against bad actors — Targeted penalties for non‑compliant manufacturers and retailers.

Opposition to the federal 0.4 mg THC cap — Advocacy against the 2026 nationwide ban.

Support for SB 265 — A regulated hemp framework instead of prohibition