A Guilford County woman sued her employer after she was fired for failing drug tests. She said she took legal, hemp-derived products.
Jeffrey Billman
Jeffrey Billman is a politics and law reporter for The Assembly. The former editor-in-chief of INDY in Durham, he holds a master's degree in public policy analysis from the University of Central Florida.
Perfectly Legal Hemp
Legal hemp can produce intoxicants that rival anything illegal marijuana has to offer.    Â
Q&A: James Gallagher, Asheville Dispensary and Carolina Best Distribution
Asheville Dispensary opened in October 2018, just before Congress passed the Farm Bill. Within a year, the city had 12 dispensaries.
Q&A: Les Stewart, Trophy Brewing
With federal law changing in November, Trophy expects to shut down production of its THC seltzers in the coming months.Â
Q&A: Garrett Perdue, Naternal
The Morrisville-based company made waves last fall with an ad featuring the CEO’s mother—who just happens to be a former North Carolina governor.
A Scientist’s War
Shortly after Congress legalized hemp, toxicologist Michelle Peace started a private drug-testing lab. Then she bit the hand that feeds.Â
Hemp Investigation: Our Methodology
Our reporters purchased hemp products from N.C. convenience stores and dispensaries, and had them tested at the Laboratory for Forensic Toxicology Research.
Downstream Testing
Not satisfied with our official lab testing of hemp products, our reporter conducted a urine test on himself after drinking a THC beverage.
What Else Is In My Weed?
Our tests found dozens of chemical compounds in hemp products that were not cannabinoids—including some that might surprise you.
What’s in My Weed?
Our investigation found many hemp products for sale don’t have the THC levels they claim—but do contain bacteria and other contaminants.



