A top House committee chairman has introduced the latest version of a large-scale agriculture bill with provisions that his office says will reduce “regulatory burdens on industrial hemp producers.”

The proposed 2026 Farm Bill released Friday by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) would maintain the industrial hemp program as the cannabinoid industry waits for the recriminalization of consumable cannabinoid products under legislation signed into law by President Donald Trump last year.

But for farmers who grow hemp for industrial purposes, such as fiber and grain, the latest version of the Farm Bill is being touted as a source of industry relief, with policies that allow the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as states and tribes, to reduce or eliminate “testing requirements and background checks for producers.”

Those provisions are modeled after the Industrial Hemp Standalone Act, bipartisan legislation introduced in the 118th Congress aimed at strengthening the hemp market after the crop and its derivatives were federally legalized in 2018 during Trump’s first term.

Under the new 2026 Farm Bill, the USDA would also be mandated to “establish a process by which hemp testing laboratories can be accredited,” a section-by-section summary says. Currently, only Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-accredited laboratories can test hemp yields for compliance purposes, which has created a bottleneck that has historically limited resources.

“A new farm bill is long overdue, and the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026 is an important step forward in providing certainty to our farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” Thompson said of the sweeping legislation in a press release Friday.

“This bill offers modern policies for modern challenges and builds on years of listening to the needs of farmers, ranchers and rural Americans,” he said. he said. “The farm bill affects our entire country, whether you live on a farm or not, and I look forward to my colleagues in Congress working together to push this critical legislation through the finish line.”

His panel will begin examining the bill on February 23.

Although the text of the legislation has only just been released to the public, the Democratic leadership has already argued with the draft proposal.

“A review of the text of the legislation is underway,” said Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), a member of the committee. “As far as I know, the Republican farm bill doesn’t meet the moment before farmers and workers.”

“Farmers need Congress to act quickly to end inflationary tariffs, stabilize trade relations, expand domestic market options like year-round E15, and help lower input costs. The Republican majority instead chose to ignore Democratic priorities and push through a farm bill with poison pills if nothing else complicates their options.” he said. “I strongly urge my Republican colleagues to put aside the political brass and work with House Democrats on a bipartisan bill that addresses the real issues facing farmers right now, before it’s too late.”

Again, regardless of how the proposed revisions to industrial hemp policy play out, there is a more pressing concern for the primary economic driver of the cannabis market—the farmers, manufacturers, and processors of cannabinoids in consumable products like CBD—in this latest Farm Bill.

The spending legislation signed by the president would once again ban cannabinoid products containing trace amounts of THC, which advocates say would upend an already struggling market.

Since 2018, cannabis products have been considered legal hemp if they contain less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight.

However, the law, which will take effect in November, specifies that the weight would be applied to total THC — including delta-8 and other isomers. Also, “as tetrahydrocannabinol (or any other marketed cannabinoid) with similar effects in humans or animals (as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services).”

The new definition of legal hemp would also prohibit “any hemp-derived cannabinoid intermediate product marketed or sold as an end product or directly to an end consumer for personal or household use,” as well as products containing cannabinoids that are synthesized or manufactured outside of the cannabis plant or that cannot be produced naturally by the plant.

Legal hemp products would be limited to 0.4 milligrams total THC per container or any other cannabinoids with similar effects.

A bill called the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization and Protection (HEMP) Act is a potential alternative to the outright THC ban included in the spending bill signed by Trump. in the affirmative allowing the sale of consumable hemp products to adults over 21 years of age. This includes edibles, beverages and breathable items.

If the legislation were to be enacted, there would be several regulatory restrictions on the market. For example, packaging should not appeal to young people and should be fake. It should also list all the cannabinoids present and include a QR code that links to a certificate of analysis.

Manufacturers of hemp products would be prohibited from adding substances such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, nicotine, melatonin or others “that may interact with cannabinoids or enhance or modify their effects.”

There would also be manufacturing and testing requirements, and hemp companies would have to register their facilities.

Additionally, there are provisions mandating the establishment of a total cap on cannabinoids in hemp products. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be responsible for proposing the cannabinoid limits within 60 days of their enactment.

In the meantime, the liquor dealers got together recently Encourage Congress to delay passage of the law Trump signed to federally recriminalize THC beverages and other hemp-derived products.

The coalition calls on the members of parliament to approve the legislation they have just presented Hemp Plantation Provision Lawthat would give the hemp industry two more years before a federal ban on THC products takes effect, which stakeholders hope will better position them to negotiate a broader regulatory compromise.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY), who is sponsoring the proposal, appeared at a news conference last month. farmers concerned about the impact of the federal hemp ban in their businesses.

what’s the point Four out of five marijuana users say they oppose the recriminalization of THC hemp products According to the spending bill Trump signed in November. However, it should be noted that this survey was conducted a few weeks before the cannabis rescheduling order and measures to protect access to full-spectrum CBD.

Meanwhile, it would make way for a recently introduced bill in the Republican-led Congress stop implementing the hemp ban under established credit legislation.

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Hemp companies and industry groups have warned about the potential ramifications of the ban, but despite states in support of cannabis rights and a social media post extolling the benefits of CBD, Trump signed the underlying spending measure into law without endorsing the hemp provisions.

GOP political operative Roger Stone recently said it was Trump effectively “forced” Republican lawmakers to sign the spending bill with language to ban hemp THC.

However, a White House spokesman said before signing the bill Trump was particularly supportive of the ban’s language.

The Democratic governor of Kentucky said that the hemp industry is an “important” part of the economy that deserves to be regulated at the state level—instead of being banned federally, as Congress has done—.

Additionally, a leading veterans organization is alerting Congressional leaders to the recently passed blanket ban on consumable hemp products. could inadvertently “close the door” on critical inquiry.