Cannabis News

Trump ‘Supports’ Hemp THC Ban That’s Advancing In Senate, White House Says

Published

7 months ago

November 10, 2025

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President Donald Trump “endorses it.” He proposed banning THC-containing hemp products included in the Senate spending billA White House spokesman says cannabis, alcohol and other interests are continuing efforts to influence the final deal.

A day after the Senate passed the debt relief package – with provisions that would effectively wipe out the market for hemp operators – a White House staffer told NBC News that the president “supports the current language in the hemp bill.”

While Trump endorsed cannabis reform on the campaign trail (including a pending marijuana redistricting proposal), he has also expressed concern about the non-medical use of cannabis. In his first term, he signed the 2018 Farm Bill that federally legalized hemp and its derivatives, but has been less vocal on issues related to cannabis’ cousin.

Now, eager for a plan to reopen the government amid a historic shutdown, the White House says it stands by the controversial ban, which is just one part of a larger legislative package.

Marijuana Moments reached out to the White House for additional comment, but a representative was not immediately available.

POTUS “supports current language in hemp bill,” according to WH official

Sen. Rand Paul has long told leadership and industry people that he would not pass the bills unless they preserve the loophole created by the 2018 farm bill that allows unregulated THC products to be sold nationwide.

— Julie Tsirkin (@news_jul) November 10, 2025

Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) hasn’t thrown in the towel yet, introducing an amendment calling for the leader to crack down on hemp language altogether.

But there are many competing voices on the issue, including a coalition of alcohol companies that sent a letter to senators Monday urging them to back the current language.

The American Distilled Spirits Alliance (ADSA), the Beer Institute (BI), the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), Wine America and the Wine Institute said in the letter that Paul’s “short-sighted actions could threaten the delicately balanced deal to reopen the federal government.”

“Producers of alcoholic beverages, one of the most highly regulated consumer products, are calling on the Senate to reject Senator Paul’s attempts to allow hemp-derived THC products to be sold across the country without federal regulation and oversight,” it says. “We stand ready to work with Congress and the Administration to enact meaningful regulations that protect consumers and ensure a safe and orderly marketplace for these toxic products when this loophole is addressed.”

The alcohol companies individually pushed the Congress stand on the hemp ban in a letter to the leader last week.

Under current law, cannabis products are considered legal hemp if they contain less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight.

The new legislation specifies that, within a year of taking effect, the weight will be applied to all 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 a total of 0.4 milligrams of total THC or any other cannabinoid with similar effects per container.

Within 90 days of the bill’s passage, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies would be required to “publish a list of all cannabinoids known to FDA to be naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant, as reflected in the peer-reviewed literature,” “all tetrahydrocannabinol classes known to be plants of the cannabinoid class known” and “all cannabinoids” known to occur naturally. Cannabinoids that have or are marketed as having effects similar to cannabinoids of the tetrahydrocannabinol class.”

The language differs slightly from provisions in legislation advanced out of the House and Senate Appropriations panels, which would have banned products with “quantifiable” amounts of THC, to be determined by the HHS secretary and the agriculture secretary.

Separately, the newly released appropriations legislation omits language passed by the House earlier this year. let VA doctors recommend medical cannabis to their military veteran patients in states where it is legal.

The appropriations bill’s progress comes amid a push by parties on both sides of the hemp debate as they negotiate a deal to influence Congress.

For example, last week more than 50 alcohol distributors have come together Oppose efforts in Congress to ban hemp products containing THCinsisting to lawmakers that as demand for alcohol has “declined”, the cannabis market has helped sustain their industry.

It is interesting that there is a special distribution among the agents of alcohol, many of them have reported lobbying on hemp issues this year. There seems to be disagreement on the way forward between the wholesalers that distribute alcohol and hemp products and the big brands that market their drinks.

A major consumer trade association, its member corporations include Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kraft Heinz and Nestlé. Pressuring Congress to ban THC-containing hemp products.

Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of 39 state and territory attorneys general recently petitioned Congress. clarifying the federal definition of hemp and imposing regulations preventing the sale of intoxicating cannabinoid products.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D), who helped write that letter to congressional leaders last month, he defended his decision amid criticism from industry players and advocates He questioned why attorneys general in states with strong hemp markets like Minnesota would promote federal recriminalization of those products.

Two GOP lawmakers—Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD)—has committed to a complete ban on THC-containing hemp products. But others like Paul have insisted that such a policy change would destroy the industry. And Paul had warned before that he would go far stick to large-scale spending legislation if the entire ban is kept intact.

The senator also pushed back against a recent letter from state and territory attorneys general imploring Republican leaders to completely prevent the marketing of intoxicating hemp products.

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As for legislative opportunities, Paul recently ran for the legislature This requires a study and report on the state’s regulatory models for hemp It could inform future revisions to the federal law—rather than outright banning sales, as McConnell wanted.

In August, McConnell – who pushed for federal hemp legalization under the 2018 Farm Bill – took to the Senate floor. criticized those who opposed the ban, including Paul.

Meanwhile, Paul recently introduced a stand-alone bill that would go in the opposite direction of the hemp ban, proposing to triple the concentration of THC that the crop could legally containaddressing several other concerns expressed by industry about federal regulations.

The senator introduced legislation in June called the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act. It reflects versions backed up in recent sessions.

read it the letter Alcohol companies below on the proposed hemp ban:

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Cannabis News

We don’t really deal with a lot of mites because of our IPM program

Published

11 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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Flora Farms Pest Management Program it is built to reduce to nothing depending on the harvestso the plant ends up clean. Luke Allenbrand, Flora Farms’ crop leader, leads an integrated pest management program that focuses on prevention. “We don’t honestly deal with a lot of mites because of the IPM program, because of the predatory mites that we’ve put down as a precaution,” says Luke. “It allows us to have a much cleaner garden in the back half.” Preventative work keeps spray volumes relatively low because the curative side of the program rarely needs to be heavy.

“Actually, we are at the lowest number of these sprays that we have. The milliliters that we are using are numbers that do not exist to be a prevention,” says Luke. “But as soon as you see an uptick of those mites or anything, we bring it up to a therapeutic amount, which is still a small milliliter. And as long as you’re on a fast track with it, you see them disappear within 10 days.” The targets are spider mites, which feed on the plant’s THC and terpene production and degrade the flower.

Tested solutions
The three products used by the company are derived from agricultural and food use. “We actually apply about three insecticides that are very common around the agricultural and food grade of these products, using a suite of IPM, Venerate and Grandevo, insecticides that will deal with these mites,” says Luke. The application is intermittent rather than constant. “We usually use a 5-day spray cycle so we can have rest periods in between, so it’s not just a consistent density of that spray,” says Luke. He sees progress against mites in the gaps between the successions.

However, at some point, the spraying stops. “We finish the spray cycle by day 40. We usually don’t want to spray anywhere after day 40. At that point, you’re going to damage the product,” says Luke. “And at that point, we’ll put predatory mites in. It really helps us get to that final push point by day 59, 60 of that harvest. So we actually have a lot less of our spray in that late period. So it’s a much better tasting product.” Predatory mites take over the job of spraying, leaving nothing on the flower.

Biological control
Biological control has two forms. “We usually use them, they’re called crazy mites, and honestly, it’s crazy to see,” says Luke. “Actually, I’ve seen some of the ones in a close-up photo kill a bug, some of the cocoons actually drive away, and even attack the spider mites themselves. Very beneficial. Callias are also slow. They’re little bags that we hang on plants and they’re very beneficial to us.” Different predators work at different speeds, which is why the program runs more than one.

Missouri’s testing regime is the context in which growers operate. Each plant is tested for pest control chemicals and must pass before the product goes ahead. “Other crops and other black market shops or smoke shops in Missouri don’t have to worry about the testing we have to do,” Luke says. “Everything we use here is natural. Each of our pest management is a lot of essential oils that fight these mites. Everything we would put on a plant is food grade.” The test covers foreign chemicals, heavy metals, and anything else that an unregulated supply should never consider.

The whole arc is from biology to chemistry and back to biology. “We go from predatory mites to a food-grade spray regimen, and then back to predatory mites at the end. That way, these plants will have time to finish with no chemicals, nothing,” says Luke. “The rest of that life cycle, about 15 to 20 days, is the most natural it will have. No spraying at all during that, just to push predatory mites off that end, so there’s no residual mite damage on those plants.”

For more information:
Flower Farms
florafarmsmo.com

Cannabis News

California Bill To Legalize Marijuana Dispensary Drive-Thru Windows Advances In Senate After Clearing Full Assembly

Published

11 hours ago

June 9, 2026

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It has been passed by a California Senate committee and passed by the Assembly bill that would allow marijuana dealers to offer car windows to serve customers.

The measure, which cleared the Senate Business, Careers and Economic Development Committee on a 7-3 vote Monday, says licensed cannabis retailers and micro-businesses with storefronts can sell marijuana products “in a motor vehicle to a customer in a drive-through located on the premises.”

Under Assemblywoman Gail Peller’s (D) AB 2697, cannabis businesses would need permission from the local jurisdictions in which they operate to add a drive-thru.

The sponsor told committee members before the final vote that the bill will “expand access to legal cannabis products while strengthening our ability to compete with the illegal market.”

Annie Aubrey of Chuck’s Wellness Center, a retailer in Placerville, testified that the legislation is “about improving access.”

“A large portion of our customers use cannabis as medicine, including seniors, veterans and people living with chronic conditions that affect mobility, the population that this regulated system seeks to serve,” he said. “For many, even simple tasks like getting out of a vehicle or navigating a retail space can be physically difficult or prohibitive…A drive-thru option removes that barrier, giving patients and consumers access to what they need in a way that’s dignified and consistent with their healthcare needs.”

Amy O’Gorman Jenkins of the California Cannabis Operators Association said the legislation will provide “operational flexibility” in a highly regulated system.

“It doesn’t expand who can access cannabis,” he said. “It allows retailers, with local approval, to serve existing patients and customers more efficiently.”

Jenkins also argued that this measure could improve security.

“Currently, road traction transactions are already allowed. This means that workers regularly have to leave a safe premises while transporting the product, and sometimes they have to deposit cash in parking lots,” he said. “AB 2697 provides an additional mechanism for obtaining product, but requires a fixed and secure transaction point, keeping employees inside and reducing exposure to theft.”

Pellerin, the bill’s sponsor, previously said that “California cannabis retailers lack a common and accessible transaction channel for consumers that so many other retailers in California offer, including fast food, pharmacies, banks and even liquor stores.”

“Cannabis consumers with mobility issues or other disabilities have limited options for obtaining cannabis without having to get out of their vehicles. And while home delivery is legal, there are restrictions on service areas,” he said. “Allowing cannabis sellers to add a secure ride option, if allowed by their local jurisdiction, will improve the consumer experience, increase the security of cannabis sellers and help expand California’s legal cannabis market.”

The California Association of Narcotics Officers opposes the proposal, however, as a representative, Ryan Sherman, testified that it would make it more difficult for dispensary workers to check the IDs of customers who are of legal age or to spot signs of current intoxication at drive-thru windows.

“This bill prioritizes speed of sale over public safety while undermining existing protections designed to prevent illegal sales and protect public safety,” he argued.

Under current policy during the COVID pandemic, dispensaries can already offer street pickup.

The invoice that moving forward in the legislature would mandate that auto sales “be made through a fixed panel security window with a security drawer or similar secure transfer mechanism that is part of a building located within the premises.”

California regulators recently approved emergency rule changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process. to make it easier for companies to receive benefits In line with the Trump administration’s latest move to federally regulate medical cannabis.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently He took credit for helping lead the state’s push to legalize marijuana and discussed his limited experience with cannabis use.

In October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have It allowed micro-marijuana companies to ship medicinal cannabis directly to patients Through common carriers like FedEx and UPS, he said the proposal would be “too burdensome and complex to manage.”

Newsom signed a bill earlier this month streamlining research into marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure pause on the recent tax increase on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently participate in the marijuana trade with licensed cannabis businesses without obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials have recently been rewarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

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.

Cannabis News

Concert Series Specials launched for state medical cannabis patients

Published

1 day ago

June 8, 2026

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Post Dispensary, Kentucky’s first medical cannabis dispensary, is connecting with patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Hopkinsville and surrounding areas by aligning unique specials with the region’s summer concert calendar. Located at 300 N Main St. in Beaver Dam, minutes from major highways connecting these vibrant cities.

This summer, The Post Dispensary is offering special pricing and incentives for Concert Series Events at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater, SPARKS in the Park 4th of July celebration and surrounding events, such as Owensboro’s ROMP Festival (June 24-27, 2026). Patients can stop by before or after shows for big savings.

“We’re more than just a booty,” said a dispensary representative. “From Owensboro’s world-class ROMP Festival to Beaver Dam’s Amphitheater events, we’re making it convenient and budget-friendly for patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Hartford and beyond to combine our love of music with compassionate care and an affordable product.”

The Post Dispensary hosts regular Patient Guidance events on the second Saturday of every month. These units have professionals on hand to assess patients and issue written certificates at low cost, application support and expert consultations in a welcoming environment. The next Patient Drive aligns perfectly with summer travel patterns, making it easy for patients from Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Henderson, Madisonville and surrounding towns to plan a trip to Beaver Dam that combines care with community and entertainment.

For more information:
Post-Dispensary
thepostdispensary.com/