Senate urged to reject hemp loophole delay and enforce new restrictions
Lawmakers are being asked to remove a provision that postpones enforcement of recently passed hemp restrictions, allowing the ban to take effect as intended.
After years of industry pressure, Congress finally eliminated a gap that permitted the sale of hemp products containing intoxicating THC compounds. The latest law caps THC content in finished hemp goods, aiming to remove many such items from retail shelves. However, the current continuing resolution that funds the government contains a clause deferring the rule's implementation.
Critics, including Senator Ted Budd, contend the delay serves industry interests rather than public safety. Attorneys general from thirty-five states have signed on, warning against any weakening of the new limits. They argue the original farm bill's intent was to regulate industrial hemp, not to legalize psychoactive substances nationwide. The call is for the Senate to fund the government while discarding the postponement language so the ban can take effect as scheduled.
Why it matters
The decision will determine whether intoxicating hemp products remain available to consumers nationwide.
In this story