INJURED PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE HOSPITAL ARE RECOVERING. ON FRIDAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED A BILL ENDING THE LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN U.S. HISTORY. AND IN THAT BILL IS A PROVISION THAT COULD IMPACT A FAST GROWING INDUSTRY HERE IN MAINE. ROMNEY JOINS US LIVE IN STUDIO NOW. SO, ROMNEY, WE KNOW THAT THIS CLOSING OF A LOOPHOLE, THEY CALL IT THE LOOPHOLE, COULD REALLY IMPACT LOCAL CANNABIS BUSINESSES. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? YEAH, NORA, YOU SAID IT. WELL, THE LANGUAGE DOES FOCUS ON CLOSING THAT, QUOTE, HEMP LOOPHOLE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED FOR THE INDUSTRY TO FLOURISH IN THE MAINSTREAM MARKET WITHOUT MUCH REGULATION. SO THINK OF IT AS GUMMIES, TOPICAL CREAMS AND DRINKS SOLD OUTSIDE OF DISPENSARIES IN MAINE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IT’S LEGALIZED IN THE 2018 FARM BILL AND ALLOWED FOR PRODUCTS TO BECOME MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE. SOME OF THOSE PRODUCTS ENDED UP ON SHELVES OF GAS STATIONS AND CONVENIENCE STORES THAT CONTAINED HIGH LEVELS OF THC AVAILABLE TO ANY CUSTOMER. HEMP PRODUCTS THAT SHOW UP IN THESE PLACES SOMETIMES SKIRT STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS FOR TESTING AND CONTAMINANTS. THE NEW BILL SIGNED PUTS A LIMIT OF 0.4MG OF THC PER PRODUCT. TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE, ONE CAN OF A THC DRINK CONTAINS ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 10MG PER SERVING. RICHARD ROLL IS THE PRINCIPAL OF NOVEL BEVERAGE AND MAKES HIS DRINKS AT A FACTORY IN SCARBOROUGH. HIS DRINKS ARE ONLY SOLD INSIDE LICENSED ADULT USE DISPENSARIES IN MAINE, SO HE SAYS HE DOESN’T KNOW HOW THESE NEW RULES WILL AFFECT HIM JUST YET BECAUSE HE DOESN’T SELL IN GAS STATIONS OR CONVENIENCE STORES. BUT HE DOES AGREE THAT UNREGULATED THC PRODUCTS HAVE GONE TOO FAR. THERE’S RIGOROUS TRACKING FROM THE STATE, SO YOU CAN TRACK, YOU KNOW, A DRINK THAT I SELL TO A CONSUMER ALL THE WAY BACK TO A SEED THAT’S PLANTED IN INTO A POT. SO, YOU KNOW, TO SEE A RIVAL SYSTEM THAT IS SUBJECT TO NONE OF THAT, BUT YET ARE ABLE TO SOLD IN THE SAME AND MORE CHANNELS. IT IS FRUSTRATING. ROLL SAYS THE DANGER OF BUYING HEMP PRODUCTS AT PLACES LIKE GAS STATIONS IS THE LACK OF TESTING. HE SAYS HE FOLLOWS MAINE LAW IN ORDER TO SELL HIS BEVERAGES, AND HAS TO MEET STRICT REQUIREMENTS. BUT THE CURRENT EFFORT ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO LIMIT HEMP PRODUCTS COULD HARM THE INDUSTRY IN MAINE AND NATIONWIDE, AND NORA ADVOCATES FOR STRICTER REGULATIONS, SAY THE HEMP LOOPHOLE HAS ALLOWED MORE POTENT PRODUCTS TO REACH THE MARKET AND ESPECIALLY PUT CHILDREN AT RISK. NOW, ACCORDING TO THE POISON HELP CENTER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEARLY 10,000 CASES OF CHILDREN INGESTING CANNABIS EDIBLES IN THE PAST YEAR. ADVOCATES LIKE KENTUCKY SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL SAY THESE N