Cannabis News
Congressional Amendments To Delay Or Speed Up Federal Hemp THC Product Ban Won’t Get Votes
Congressional amendments to both delaying the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC products for another year or to speed up implementation will not be considered on the House floor this week.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) introduced the delay proposal as an amendment to the Farm Bill, while Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) introduced an expedited approach. Neither will move forward, however, with Comer withdrawing his measure and the House Rules Committee failing to vote on Miller’s.
Hemp derivatives containing less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by weight of the drug were made federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill signed by President Donald Trump in his first term. But late last year, Trump signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp so that only products with a total of 0.4 milligrams of THC per container will be legal starting Nov. 12.
Comer’s amendment, sponsored by Reps. Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA), would have delayed the ban until November 2027.
According to Miller’s proposal, however, the ban will begin the day the new Farm Bill takes effect. However, it is unclear based on progress in Congress whether the large-scale farming legislation will actually become law, and the legislation could not pass until after the current recriminalization date.
Comer told the panel at Monday’s meeting that his amendment would “protect American farmers” and “help the hemp industry and the thousands of jobs that use and rely on these products.”
“It is clear that Congress needs more time to pass legislation that protects jobs, eliminates bad actors, standardizes labeling and requires third-party testing,” he said. “My amendment would give Congress another year, until November 2027, to develop this solution.”
It is not clear why he decided to remove it from the annex to the proposal Farm BillAlso known as the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, or HR 7567.
Griffith, a member of the Rules Committee who sponsored Comer’s amendment, noted that there are “a lot of hemp products from overseas that don’t have third-party testing” on the market, “frankly all kinds of junk.”
He said the real solution is for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the products, citing a separate bill he has introduced on the issue, but argued that “we have to have time to adjust,” which he said would provide the delay amendment.
Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) also introduced an amendment to the bill that, according to the sponsor’s summary, “changes the definition of hemp to protect the legal hemp market, creating a regulatory framework that protects children, bans synthetics, and ensures that products on the market are of American origin.”
The congressman later withdrew the proposal for undisclosed reasons.
However, he recently received a letter White House officials commented on pending legislation to create a regulatory framework for hemp.
Last week, Vince Haley, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, and James Braid, assistant to the president for legislative affairs, sent hemp policy suggestions to Barr, who is helping lead efforts to establish regulations for the plant as an alternative to prohibition.
“We appreciate your work to advance policy,” the executive order Trump signed in December, which included provisions to protect Americans’ access to CBD products, the staff wrote in a letter to Congress.
“We are submitting draft legislation and comments to your account to address the final statutory definition of hemp-derived cannabinoid products to ensure that Americans have access to adequate full-spectrum CBD products while maintaining Congress’ intent to limit the sale of products that pose serious health risks,” White House officials said, according to a social media screencast. “We are open to discussion and further technical assistance.”
The annex to the administration’s proposed legislative text has not been released publicly, and the White House and Barr’s office did not immediately respond to Marihuana Moment’s request for more details.
It’s not clear from the text of the letter whether the White House was proactively sending legislative proposals to the lawmaker or whether they were responding to something sent by his office, though two cannabis industry sources suggested to Marihuana Moment that Barr was sending the language to the administration, and then providing technical feedback.
Trump this week It inspired lawmakers in Congress to take action to change the currently planned hemp banand suggested that this threatens to federally recriminalize full-spectrum CBD products.
“I’m calling on Congress to update the Act so Americans can continue to have access to the full-spectrum CBD products they trust and support, while maintaining Congress’ intent to restrict the sale of products that pose health risks,” the president said in a Truth Social message Thursday, the same day his administration announced it is moving forward to re-regulate marijuana.
“We need to do this RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who have found CBD to help them,” he said. “Also, I’m told it will help our BIG FARMERS that we love and will always be around.”
Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) had it introduced the hemp ban delay amendment before the House Agriculture Committee when it took up the Farm Bill last month, but the president of that panel determined that the proposal was not in line with the legislation.
The Farm Bill passed by the previous committee includes provisions to help the hemp industry and farmers who grow cannabis for industrial purposes, such as fiber and grain. For example, the legislation would amend statutes related to states and tribes developing regulatory plans for industrial hemp production, including policies on testing, sampling, background checks and record keeping.
Other bipartisan hemp reform bills are pending in Congress.
This month, for example, it was introduced by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Joni Ernst (R-IA). The Hemp Safety Enforcement Act, which would give states the option of federal recriminalization of THC hemp products. it will be established this year.
Ernst withdrew his name, however, as a sponsor of the legislation. His office did not respond to Marihuana Moment’s request for clarification on the move.
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The US Department of Agriculture published this month shows that US farmers grow $3 billion in hemp crops by 2025— 64% increase compared to the previous year.
Meanwhile, this month the Trump administration launched a new initiative Cover up to $500 of hemp-derived products annually for eligible Medicare patients. The program being implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focuses largely on CBD, but also allows a certain amount of THC in products.
Anti-marijuana organizations filed a lawsuit against the Medicare hemp coverage policyand Health and Human Services attorneys. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Director Mehmet Oz recently He submitted a letter requesting the filing of the case.
Meanwhile, the White House Management and Budget Office has held a series of meetings a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) CBD product enforcement policy.
The FDA also issued guidance making it clear that it does not intend to interfere Establish a Medicare coverage plan for hemp-derived products.
CMS finalized a rule that will be adopted separately Coverage of certain hemp products, primarily as specialized health-related benefits, through Medicare Advantage the plans
As hemp products become more popular among consumers, some big brands are trying to get in on the action.
The main retailer Target, for example, is expanding its involvement in the hemp-derived THC beverage market. Last year, the company began a pilot program in 10 stores in Minnesota that sell cannabis drinks. That apparently went well, and now the company has secured licenses from Minnesota regulators to sell lower-potency edible hemp products — including THC drinks — in 72 stores in the state.
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cbdMD welcomes the Administration’s call for Congress to ensure fair treatment of hemp-derived products under federal law and calls for immediate action to revise hemp regulations to ensure fair treatment of hemp products under federal law.
In a letter to congressional leadership this week, the White House Office of Management and Budget identified hemp reform as a priority strongly supported by the Administration. The petition calls on Congress to ensure fair treatment of hemp-derived products by maintaining access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products, and by maintaining Congress’ intent to reduce products that pose health risks. The administration also urged Congress to pass a responsible federal framework or at least extend the current implementation period to give lawmakers time to get policy right. The request builds on the president’s previous public statements urging lawmakers to protect access to full-spectrum CBD products that millions of Americans rely on.
“We are encouraged to see the administration so clearly championing the responsible, scientific hemp products that consumers depend on every day,” said Ronan Kennedy, CEO of cbdMD. “cbdMD has always believed that the future of this category is built on quality, transparency, and clear rules that separate them from bad actors. A federal framework that protects consumer access, promotes safety, and provides certainty to companies that provide certainty is what this industry and the people it serves deserve. We applaud the policymakers who are working to achieve this outcome.”
“We believe CbdMD is purpose-built for this next phase of the market,” added Kennedy. “Our focus remains on serving our customers with reliable and effective products, supporting responsible regulation and building long-term value for our shareholders as the category continues to evolve. Along the way, we will continue to evaluate the opportunities this evolving environment holds.”
For more information:
cbdMD 
cbdmd.com/
Two new RAND reports commissioned by the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation outline the policy options and financial commitments facing Indiana as the state debates whether to change its cannabis laws amid restrictions across the country.
Reports show that 44% of Indiana residents live within 50 miles of a licensed dispensary in a neighboring state, and 96% live within 100 miles, as three of Indiana’s four states have legalized adult-use cannabis. At the same time, intoxicating hemp products containing the same psychoactive compound as marijuana are available at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores throughout Indiana with limited oversight.
Cannabis use in Indiana has doubled in the past decade, with a significant increase among adults 26 and older. RAND estimates that 1.3 million Hoosiers used cannabis in 2024 and spent $1.8 billion on marijuana products that year. Indiana recorded more than 13,000 cannabis-related arrests in 2024, with more than 90% for possession and more than 75% for non-cannabis related charges. The state spends $10 million to $20 million annually on cannabis law enforcement.
Rather than recommending a specific policy, the RAND reports outline four broad options: maintaining prohibition, reducing criminal penalties for possession, legalizing medical cannabis, or legalizing the adult recreational use market. Legalizing adult-use cannabis would generate about $180 million in annual state revenue, roughly 1 percent of the state’s general fund, well below some previous projections and less than half of the $385 million in combined cigarette and alcohol tax revenue Indiana will collect in 2025, according to the Indiana Department of Revenue.
Legalization would also entail significant upfront costs, and ongoing regulatory costs could reach the low tens of millions of dollars annually, outweighing the savings from reduced criminal justice spending. RAND identifies 14 policy considerations important to establishing legal markets, each with its own public health and state economic implications.
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