Congress urged to enforce hemp law preventing candy-like THC products

A coalition of hundreds of parents, 39 state attorneys general, pediatricians, public-health leaders, law-enforcement officials and responsible hemp businesses urged Congress to maintain a November implementation date for a law that closes a loophole in the Farm Bill. The loophole let manufacturers market highly intoxicating THC products as “hemp” and sell them in gas stations and convenience stores, often packaged to resemble well-known candies.

Reports of child poisonings, emergency-room visits and mental-health crises have risen, prompting the bipartisan effort. The legislation redefines hemp products based on their pharmacological effects, requiring them to be non-intoxicating, and gives manufacturers a one-year compliance window. States are already aligning their regulations with the federal standard, restricting intoxicating hemp to licensed marijuana outlets. Advocates argue that postponing the rule would reward bad actors and jeopardize progress toward safer cannabis markets, while keeping the deadline would protect children and reinforce a science-based policy framework.