IDAHO FALLS — CBD pet products have made a comeback at a local shop, and the owner is thrilled about it.
James Rupp is the owner of Nugget CBD in Idaho Falls and Pocatello. In July 2022, he received a letter from the Idaho State Department of Agriculture explaining that legislation passed in 2021 legalizing the licensed production and handling of industrial hemp did not apply to hemp-derived animal feed products.
Two products classified as treats or remedies for pets were sold in Rupp’s store, but the ISDA applied the law to these items as well.
“There was a lot of confusion. They didn’t know what the difference was, how to interpret the law or what the requirements should be,” Rupp tells EastIdahoNews.com.
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As a result, Rupp was required to remove pet products from store shelves by Nov. 1 and quit selling them.
The sale of animal treats made up 25-30% of his business, and one of the products — a pet calming chew — was the No. 1 selling item in his store. Not being able to sell them has had a significant impact on Rupp’s business.
“It was rough. We were barely able to get by,” Rupp says.
Nugget CBD in Meridian, which Rupp doesn’t own, was also impacted.
Though there are other businesses in eastern Idaho that sell similar products, Rupp says his shop is the only one that sells this particular product.
