Cannabis News
GOP Senator Says Keeping Hemp THC Products Legal Is An Issue That Can Unite Lawmakers At A ‘Hyperpartisan’ Time
A Republican senator plans to introduce bipartisan legislation later this year to roll back the federal recriminalization of THC hemp products and replace it with a new regulatory system that includes age limits and taxes.
Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) said the issue is “personally important to me” as a wounded veteran who has “many friends who have gone through various stages of recovery after war” and as someone who represents an agriculture-based state.
“I’m hopeful that in a hyper-partisan age where it seems like we can’t get past anything, this can be an issue where we can see executive and legislative success,” the GOP lawmaker said Wednesday in a Zoom meeting with members of the Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA) group. “That will be good for America.”
Sheehy said there is a “bipartisan group” on the issue, citing lawmakers like Sen. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) who are collaborating on hemp reform legislation that she said will be introduced “fairly soon.”
“We’re considering some legislative action here to help the hemp industry.”
Senator, who has separately championed veteran-based psychedelic legislationnoted that the Trump administration is pushing Congress to delay, modify, or change the ban on hemp and is also taking steps to accelerate access to therapeutic substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine.
“They’ve advocated for a lot of non-standard treatments, a lot of non-standard drugs, a lot of non-standard substances that historically — I mean historically for hundreds of years — have been used for a long time, but in the last 50 years there’s been limited use,” Sheehy said.
Hemp derivatives containing less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight 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.
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) last month, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said The administration wants lawmakers to “ensure the correct treatment of hemp products.”—Specifically, citing legislation that would keep many of the hemp products legal to recriminalize this year, add labeling requirements and impose new sales taxes, among other regulatory reforms.
During a meeting with industry representatives on Wednesday, Sheehy noted how hemp products have “consistently proven to be effective” for veterans dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain, particularly as an alternative to opioids and alcohol.
The senator also answered questions from HIFA members who asked about the specifics of the soon-to-be-introduced hemp reform legislation.
Responding to one person who said hemp farmers often have to destroy a significant percentage of their crops because of compliance issues, Sheehy said the legislation she authored would raise the threshold for hemp crops to 1 percent THC, up from the current 0.3 percent limit.
“All of this has obviously been worked out with input from industry and farmers,” he said. “And we’ve heard from a number of stakeholders that they believe that this will provide enough certainty and flexibility to grow crops, that it will provide the security and safety net that they need to be able to invest in it.”
In response to a separate question about taxes on hemp products, Sheehy said the 5-cent-per-milligram levy on beverages currently in the bill, along with a user fee on other hemp-derived products, is “a place where business can thrive.”
“It’s still the right balance between producers and taxpayers and consumers that strikes that middle ground,” he said. “Now, of course, we have to accept this. It has to go through negotiations and conferences. That can change.”
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It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.
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In that statement, the senator said the bill “will not be perfect out of the gate.”
“I think in trying to do something bipartisan and trying to get the administrators to pass it and the laws to pass, we’re going to have to pass it close enough and good enough at first, and hopefully tweak it later,” he said.
Other topics covered during the call included keeping children out of intoxicating hemp products and protecting the ability of businesses to engage in interstate commerce.
Ultimately, Sheehy expressed optimism that Congress could pass legislation this year to keep hemp products legal.
“When we have a real profitable crop, there’s real free market demand for that crop, and we have the ability to grow that crop in America and sell it profitably with a major free market company, and it’s not even subsidized by the government, it’s foolish not to grow that,” the senator said.
“Now, yeah, there’s a limit to that. We don’t want to grow opium and you know all that heroin and cocaine,” he said. “I get it, but this is not that. And I think it’s important to establish a legal framework around this, because if we don’t it will always be perceived as one of these. It will still be a bad drug that should be banned. I think if we bring it to light, we will regulate it, we will provide a framework that will accept it.”
Meanwhile, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has just sent a letter He warned Congress against keeping hemp THC products legalHe said reversing the ban, which will take effect at the end of the year, would “undermine public health” and “empower foreign criminal actors”.
The Trump administration, however, “welcomes the opportunity to work with Congress to at least update the legal definition of the final hemp-derived cannabinoid products Americans have access to adequate full-spectrum CBD products,” OMB said last month, “maintaining Congress’ intent to limit the sale of products that pose serious health risks.”
The call to avoid a broad ban on hemp CBD products was included in the Administration’s policy statement on the annual agriculture spending bill passed by the House of Representatives.
Several members of parliament had it He introduced amendments to that legislation to keep hemp products legalbut the House Rules Committee blocked each from going to a vote or its sponsor withdrew.
“The administration supports the progress of this legislation, but hopes to address its concerns before moving forward,” OMB said in the administration’s policy statement. “The administration looks forward to working with Congress to provide further input as the bill’s legislative process develops.”
in April, the president himself has asked members of Congress to redefine hemp to prevent the recriminalization of full-spectrum CBD products.
“I call on Congress to update the Act so that Americans can continue to have access to the full-spectrum CBD products they trust and support, while upholding Congress’ intent to limit the sale of products that pose health risks,” Trump said in a Truth Social post the same day his administration announced it was moving forward with marijuana reregulation.
“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.”
Industry advocates say the law passed last year not only threatens to ban intoxicating and synthetic cannabinoids, but also take popular full-spectrum CBD products used therapeutically by many Americans off the market.
“ONE IN FIVE adults used it in the past year, and many say it dramatically improved their chronic pain,” the president said in the social media post, adding that hemp-derived CBD “has made a HUGE difference for so many people.”
The administration also referred to a new initiative launched in April 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 allows products to contain a total of 3 milligrams of THC per serving.
“In December, I signed a very important Executive Order calling for Research and Innovation into Hemp-derived CBD,” Trump said. “Our wonderful Dr. Mehmet Oz moved quickly to follow the Executive Order directive, and set a model in motion for some Seniors this month. But more needs to be done!”
“Please do it, and SOON,” the president said, referring to the sweeping recriminalization congressional fix that will take effect in November. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
It’s unclear how far Trump wants to reduce the scope of planned federal restrictions on hemp products and what kinds of revised THC rules and limits he’d prefer to sign into law.
As Marihuana Moment reported last month, a A Republican member of Congress is circulating a draft bill that would keep THC hemp drinks legal under federal law, creating a curtailment of the broad recriminalization of products derived from the crop, which will take effect later this year.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s (R-TX) Hemp-Derived Beverage Clarity Act, in its current form, would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume hemp-THC beverages with 5 milligrams of delta-9 THC per serving. It would also impose a federal tax of 10 cents per milligram of any hemp-derived cannabinoid in beverages.
The National Restaurant Association, which represents the industry, just sent a letter to congressional leaders asking for it delaying the federal recriminalization of hemp THC beverages It will come into effect at the end of the year and will be replaced by a regulatory framework that “meets growing market demand while ensuring consumer safety” as an alternative to alcohol in products.
A report from the US Department of Agriculture published in April shows this US farmers grow three billion dollars in hemp crops by 2025— 64% increase compared to the previous year.
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Fluent has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Etain, LLC, the Company’s New York-based operating entity. The purchase agreement was signed on July 22, 2026. The transaction provides for the sale of Etain’s Registered Entity license, certain of the Company’s New York operating assets and related New York leases for cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.
The Company believes the Transaction advances its strategic objectives and expects the Transaction to comply with applicable regulatory requirements in connection with the Company’s previously announced plan of arrangement for Vireo Growth Inc. (the “Deal”) while providing for an orderly transition of the New York operations to an experienced operator committed to serving patients and consumers.
Completion of the free transaction is subject to closing conditions, including, among other customary conditions, approval of the change in ownership by the New York State Cannabis Control Board and the completion of all conditions to the completion of the Agreement.
For more information:
FLUENT Corp
getfluent.com/
Cannabis News
Marijuana Has ‘Horrific Health Risks’ And No Medical Value, Former Trump Attorney General Claims
A former US attorney general who served in President Donald Trump’s first term says marijuana poses “tremendous health risks,” has no medical value and should not be rescheduled under federal law.
“Marijuana redistricting would create a false impression that it is safe, reduce penalties for illegally selling the drug, and provide a large tax windfall to those who legally supply it,” William Barr wrote in a Wednesday op-ed for The Washington Post, Kevin Sabet, CEO of the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana. “That would be a disaster.”
The opinion comes as the Trump administration moves forward with cannabis reregulation.
According to an order issued in April by US Attorney General Todd Blanche, Marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license were immediately changed from Schedule I As did marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
an administrator The hearing is looking at the broader rescheduling of marijuanawith The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has been tasked with advocating for cannabis reform highlighting the testimony about the medical benefits of marijuana and its relative safety compared to other substances such as alcohol and opioids. It included appearances by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and a doctor from New Hampshire. Medical marijuana provides relief to pain patients and can serve as an alternative to opioids.
But Sabet and Barr, who served as Trump’s attorney general from 2019-2020, argued that “the evidence presented at the hearing did not support the rescheduling of marijuana” and instead “confirmed what decades of data have shown: raw marijuana has no scientifically established medical value and is highly susceptible to abuse.”
After the parties to the hearing have filed termination rights, the DEA administrative law judge overseeing the proceedings will make a recommendation regarding rescheduling, and the agency administrator will make a final decision.
DEA Administrator Terrance Cole only organizations and individuals opposed to marijuana reform have been invited to the hearing as a designated participant – telling supporters that they do not meet the definition of “interested person” to participate because they have not been “affected or prejudiced by any rule or proposed rule that may be issued.”
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It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.
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The former attorney general’s new opinion says “the stakes couldn’t be higher”, arguing that “marijuana today is more dangerous than ever” and that it is “addictive”, throwing out a list of alleged harm to mental and physical health.
“These unhealthy effects are a predictable result of a powerful and addictive drug being normalized, commercialized and marketed as a medicine,” Barr and Sabet say. “It would be one thing if marijuana had medical value. But there is no credible evidence that marijuana is an effective treatment for any medical condition, despite the millions of dollars spent trying to prove otherwise.”
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a 252 analysis in 2023 that concluded that marijuana had accepted medical value and should be rescheduled.
The new opposition piece also says that “rescheduling would unlock enormous revenue for the corporate marijuana industry by bringing it into a category that has not been covered by a longstanding reduction in federal drug tax deductions,” referring to a law known as 280E, which repeals Sections I and II.
“This, in turn, would allow the industry to spend even more on advertising and marketing to young people,” Barr and Sabet. he wroteArguing that “those who would lose this dragon in society are laying the foundations for another Big Tobacco”.
The Sabet organization, SAM, is one of several parties Challenging the Marijuana Redistricting Process which have been upheld by a federal Court of Appeals. those separate parts State attorneys general have filed lawsuits against cannabis reform, Opponents of marijuana legalization and a a cannabis-based biopharmaceutical corporation.
SAM’s lawsuit was signed by attorneys at Torridon Law PLLC, where Barr is a partner.
The team announced in January that it was Hiring Barr’s firm to fight cannabis rescheduling After Trump signed an executive order directing officials to quickly complete the process.
During the first Trump administration, Barr was accused by a Justice Department official Directing improper anti-company investigations into multiple cannabis company mergers– Accounting for almost a third of the division’s cases in 2019.
Several Democratic members of Congress introduced a resolution calling for an investigation into Barr’s possible impeachment, saying “abused the power of his office” to improperly investigate marijuana businesses while engaging in other allegedly illegal conduct.
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When growers pull out two LED fixtures side by side, the first number they usually discuss is percent red. This is an easy specification to fix. They are efficient at producing red photons and incredibly efficient at photosynthesis, and cannabis eats away at the flower. So more red must be better, right?
Not so simple. Red is an input to a spectrum, and the spectrum is an input to a room. There is no single spectrum that wins everywhere. An indoor room pushes hard, a greenhouse that soaks up sunlight, a temperamental cultivar, and aggressive yields call for something different. Knowing what each light strip actually does allows you to choose a tool that fits your grow instead of one that just has a big number on the sales page.
© JumpLights
Blue: structure
Blue (approximately 400-500 nm) gives shape to the plant. It maintains dense growth, strong stems, tight internodes and allows it to develop as desired. It also encourages stomatal opening, so the plant manages water and gas exchange better. Get blue and you’ve built a plant that can carry heavy flowers with no problem.
Green: access
Green was eliminated as the wavelength is “reflected” by plants. It turns out that it does a real job. Blue and red are absorbed above; the green goes deep into the fat and reaches the leaves that are never touched by the above photons. In a compact room, it’s the difference between plants photosynthesising from the top down and those that work only from the top. Green won’t replace your red or blue, but it does carry usable light where they can’t reach.
Red: engine
Red is the horse of the flower. It absorbs as efficiently as anything in the spectrum, and is responsible for most of the biomass you’re after. Redder generally means faster flower development, more weight and better efficiency per watt.
But red has a ceiling, and it’s tied to what you run. Push PPFD upwards with a heavy red spectrum and some cultivars begin to whiten at the top: the flower should be dense with pale, washed tips. Genetics, intensity, barrel temperature and your general environment all feed into it. If you’re using aggressive light levels, a lower red spectrum will buy you room before that becomes a problem, leaving you almost no photosynthetic punch to get it.
Far Red: More than Emerson
Far-red (700-750 nm) appears in more devices every year. It contributes little to photosynthesis on its own, but it moves plant morphology and works with red through the Emerson Enhancement Effect. Used properly, it helps to deepen the light, encourage uniformity of the canopy and encourage the response of the bloom. The key word is small. A touch of far red rounds out a spectrum; he’s not there to make a show.
Matching the red percentage with the room
Cannabis addresses the entire spectrum, not a line on a spec sheet. Reds cause flowers, but blues, greens and crimsons give the plant something it needs. Where you land in red refers to how you grow.
A lower red spectrum (30-40%) captures more blue and green, gives you better morphology, reduces the risk of photobleaching, and holds up when you’re running extreme PPFD. Moderate spectrum (40-55%) is the sweet spot in commercial greenhouses: strong photosynthetic efficiency, strong flowering, balanced growth. A high-red spectrum (70%+) makes the most sense in a greenhouse, where the sun is already giving you lots of blue and green and your supplemental light can cast effective red to fill the gap.
Where does the ETS MAX series fit in?
This is the thinking behind the JumpLights ETS MAX series. Instead of forcing a spectrum into each room, it rarely comes up because a greenhouse and a high PPFD indoor flower room are not the same problem.
- ETS MAX 4C41% red: for indoor rooms operating at very high intensity, where photobleaching is a real risk. The wider, red bottom balance allows you to push the tops without overcooking them
- ETS MAX 4A48% red: balanced internal spectrum that maintains high output while controlling bleaching.
- ETS MAX 5B57% Red: A high-performance indoor option. Moderate red, marked with efficiency and flower at the same time, up to 3,450 μmol/s, with efficiency that holds the spectrum.
- ETS MAX 7A76% red: built for the greenhouse. The sun already supplies blue and green, so this leans heavily on the complementary red, up to 3,900 μmol/s in the infrastructure most greenhouses already have in place.
Bottom line
Choosing an activity is not a competition for the highest red number. The winning spectrum is the one that matches your environment, your intensity, your genetics, and what you’re trying to produce. Combine spectrum, intensity, environmental control, light distribution and genetics, and you’ve got a lighting strategy. Keep a spec isolated and all you’ve got is a bright room.
The ETS MAX line was created around this idea: choose the spectrum of the room you actually have, indoor or greenhouse, and let the device work with your grow rather than against it.
For more information:
JumpLights
www.jumplights.com
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