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.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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.
Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.
Dalgety Ltd has entered into a partnership with Curaleaf Laboratories to supply pharmaceutical grade cannabis medicines to the UK cannabis market. The arrangement combines Dalgety’s cultivation operations, which are certified to EU-GMP standards, with Curaleaf Laboratories’ pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution capabilities. According to the companies, this creates a UK-based supply route that does not rely on imported cannabis flowers, as Dalgety cultivates its product in-house. Dalgety claims it was the first company in the UK to grow, manufacture and supply EU-GMP medical cannabis from a single site.
The growing facility, which is more than 30,000 square feet, is located indoors and uses hydroponic growing methods along with automated lighting, irrigation, humidity and temperature control systems. The company reports that it uses AI-assisted environmental monitoring, which extends the traceability of batches to the final product and compares them to operating standards for air filtration systems. Post-harvest processing is said to follow EU-GMP protocols, including microbial and cannabinoid testing.
The stated goal of this approach is to reduce between-harvest variation in terms of THC and CBD content, terpene profiles, and microbial safety. Dalgety says his cultivation is overseen by staff with experience in horticulture and biochemistry, some of whom have worked on cannabis cultivation projects internationally.
Through a partnership with Curaleaf Laboratories, Dalgety’s UK-grown cannabis is processed and distributed through a UK-based supply chain, rather than imported from overseas. Companies suggest that this arrangement can shorten the time it takes to get products to market compared to importing, and reduce the likelihood of supply disruptions. Because Dalgety and Curaleaf Laboratories are involved in cultivation, manufacturing and distribution, the companies say this oversees the product at every stage, making it clearer for prescribers to see where and how the product was made.
Dalgety operates to EU-GMP standards and has been subject to regulatory review by the MHRA and the Home Office. Its operations include environmental monitoring, microbial testing, stability testing, controlled drying and curing procedures and quality assurance processes, along with controlled and secure facilities.
The company describes its work as controlled environment farming, hydroponic systems, environmental control technology, and efforts to stabilize cannabis genetics and phenotypes for batch-to-batch consistency.
Dalgety has also opened its cultivation facilities for visits to healthcare professionals, clinicians, pharmacists, researchers and other industry stakeholders. The company says this is in response to the fact that much of the cannabis historically supplied to UK patients has been grown overseas, which has limited opportunities for UK clinicians to see first-hand the cultivation and quality control processes. These tours aim to provide visitors with information on cultivation standards, EU-GMP compliance procedures, environmental control systems, testing processes and the regulatory framework governing cannabis manufacturing in the UK.
Dalgety and Curaleaf Laboratories describe their partnership as expanding access to UK-grown medical cannabis, improving supply chain reliability and helping to meet sector regulations, placing it in the wider context of growing demand for cannabis-based treatments from UK patients.
After the state opened its first dispensary in 2019, thousands of Arkansans joined the program and spent a record $291.1 million on medical marijuana in 2025, according to the state Department of Finance and Administration.
Tax revenue from those sales now supports free breakfast for public school students after lawmakers passed legislation last year.
Medical marijuana programs have expanded across the country, as has recreational marijuana. Two dozen states, including neighboring Missouri, allow recreational marijuana use, according to state legislatures.
Restrictions on marijuana have been relaxed at the federal level, and the US Department of Justice earlier this year downgraded the drug classification of medicinal cannabis.
Here’s what Arkansas’ gubernatorial candidates — Democratic State Sen. Fred Love, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Libertarian Colt Shelby — have to say about legalizing recreational marijuana.
Democratic State Sen. Fred Love
Love said he opposes legalization during a debate at the Arkansas Press Association’s annual conference in June.
Sitting in a crosswalk at her daughter’s school, Love said “marijuana is all over” as the children exited their vehicles. When you grow up in a community where recreational marijuana is present, you see that it doesn’t always have a positive effect, he said.
“I don’t think it’s something I support,” Love said. “I’ve seen the long-term impact.”
While he doesn’t personally support it, Love said he would support legalizing recreational marijuana if Arkansans voted on it.
Libertarian Colt Shelby
Shelby said he’s for whatever Arkansans want, so he would support legalizing recreational marijuana if voters approve.
Shelby said the state’s elected officials have forgotten what matters most is what Arkansans want, which is why she’s running for office.
Although Shelby says she doesn’t smoke weed herself, she says almost everyone knows it and she has the meds.
“It brings a lot of good things, so I won’t say that I’m against it, but let the people decide”, he said in the debate in June.
Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sanders did not participate in the June debate, but said in an emailed statement that he does not support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
“Giving more access to drugs, especially recreational access, does nothing to help or benefit Arkansans,” Sanders said.
Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.
The World Cup is coming to an end, with the third-place play-off between France and England on Saturday, and the final between Spain and Argentina the following day. It won’t be long until the grand winner of FreshPublishers’ first World Cup pool is revealed.
As previously reported, Slim Kooli from Courchesne Laros is the favorite to win the €1,000 prize. He has secured a comfortable lead over Nol Batist of North American Interstate Greenhouse Company, while buyer Bjorn Van Ryckeghem of Deprez Construct is currently in third place.
1
Sim School
Spain
1–0
2–1
737
9716
2
Nol Batist
France
2–1
1–1
674
9433
3
Bjorn Van Ryckeghem
France
2–2
3–1
674
9264
4
Christian Anton Smedshaug
England
1–2
1–2
659
9134
5
Perry Springintveld
Spain
1–1
2–1
647
9105
6
Willem Tijssen
Spain
2–0
2–1
710
9098
7
Hans Borsboom
Spain
2–1
2–1
528
9058
8
Bart Triemstra
Spain
2–1
2–1
737
9052
9
Youness Bensaid
Spain
2–1
1–1
722
8954
10
Vijay Dijkstra
Portugal
2–0
2–1
382
8953
However, there have been some surprises during the tournament, and bonus points must be added, so we will keep the suspense a little longer. On Monday we will find out who is the main World Cup announcer in the international fruit, vegetable and horticulture sector…