Efforts to close the so-called ‘hemp loophole’ in the US, which would have banned the sale of hemp-derived products containing any detectable amount of THC, could be postponed by a year, giving operators room to adapt their operations.
Amid the continued scramble to push through the US’s giant and wide reaching spending bill for the coming year, the battle for the survival of the hemp industry, both intoxicating and industrial, has taken center stage.
An influential US Senate Committee has now approved new legislation that would significantly restrict the sale of hemp-derived products containing any detectable amount of THC, however, following concerns raised by several senators, the legislation includes a one-year delay before enforcement.
While the measure, part of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2025 Agriculture-FDA spending bill, is aimed at amending language in the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalised hemp with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight, concerns have been raised that it overreaches, and threatens to decimate the non-intoxicating and industrial hemp industry.
This bill closely mirrors a version passed by the House Appropriations Committee last month and would prohibit the manufacture and sale of consumable hemp products containing any ‘quantifiable’ amount of THC, of all types.
A key difference between the House and Senate versions is the inclusion of a federal impact report in the Senate bill. The report, to be delivered within 180 days of enactment, would assess the proposed policy’s effect on the existing cannabinoid marketplace and recommend standards for packaging, testing, labelling, and adverse event reporting.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), now spearheaded efforts to regulate this industry, said during the committee hearing.: “This language (in the 2018 Farm Bill) had an unintended consequence that has allowed for intoxicating hemp-derived synthetic products to be made and sold across our country,”
He argued that the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill was to support a legitimate agricultural hemp industry, not to enable a market for ‘lab-made, unregulated, intoxicating substances.’
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), another key supporter of hemp legalisation, warned that the bill could make the sale of common CBD oils legally untenable. He has introduced a separate bill, the HEMP Act, which would increase the legal THC limit in hemp and establish clearer guidelines for CBD manufacturing.
Industry groups have echoed these concerns. The US Hemp Roundtable has warned that the bill, as currently written, could outlaw over 90% of hemp-derived consumer products, including non-intoxicating CBD items that contain trace levels of THC.
Jonathan Miller, General Counsel, U.S. Hemp Roundtable, said in a statement: “Senator McConnell got hemp right in the 2018 Farm Bill, and again today when he said that we need to prohibit dangerous synthetic and copycat products, while keeping all hemp products out of the hands of children.
“However, how that is done matters. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable believes that the best way to do that is through robust regulation, not prohibition.
“Regulation will protect hemp farmers and the $28 billion economic engine that is the hemp industry while also offering the protections that the Senate is seeking. A blanket ban on more than 90% of hemp consumable products is not the right path.
“We are grateful to Senator Merkley for negotiating a one-year delay on implementation, to enable time to fix the language that was approved today. We look forward to working with Members of Congress in the coming months on this critical goal.
While lawmakers from both chambers will need to reconcile the differences between their versions, industry analysts say the combined momentum behind these proposals signals a major turning point for hemp policy in the US.
Despite the one-year implementation delay, many in the industry remain concerned. Under current extraction techniques, it is rare for CBD products to be entirely free of THC, meaning they may fall foul of the proposed ban even if they are non-intoxicating.
The post Senate Committee Passes ‘Hemp Killing’ Legislation, But Gives Hemp Businesses 1 Year Delay appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
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Amid the continued scramble to push through the US’s giant and wide reaching spending bill for the coming year, the battle for the survival of the hemp industry, both intoxicating and industrial, has taken center stage.
An influential US Senate Committee has now approved new legislation that would significantly restrict the sale of hemp-derived products containing any detectable amount of THC, however, following concerns raised by several senators, the legislation includes a one-year delay before enforcement.
While the measure, part of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2025 Agriculture-FDA spending bill, is aimed at amending language in the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalised hemp with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight, concerns have been raised that it overreaches, and threatens to decimate the non-intoxicating and industrial hemp industry.
This bill closely mirrors a version passed by the House Appropriations Committee last month and would prohibit the manufacture and sale of consumable hemp products containing any ‘quantifiable’ amount of THC, of all types.
A key difference between the House and Senate versions is the inclusion of a federal impact report in the Senate bill. The report, to be delivered within 180 days of enactment, would assess the proposed policy’s effect on the existing cannabinoid marketplace and recommend standards for packaging, testing, labelling, and adverse event reporting.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), now spearheaded efforts to regulate this industry, said during the committee hearing.: “This language (in the 2018 Farm Bill) had an unintended consequence that has allowed for intoxicating hemp-derived synthetic products to be made and sold across our country,”
He argued that the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill was to support a legitimate agricultural hemp industry, not to enable a market for ‘lab-made, unregulated, intoxicating substances.’
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), another key supporter of hemp legalisation, warned that the bill could make the sale of common CBD oils legally untenable. He has introduced a separate bill, the HEMP Act, which would increase the legal THC limit in hemp and establish clearer guidelines for CBD manufacturing.
Industry groups have echoed these concerns. The US Hemp Roundtable has warned that the bill, as currently written, could outlaw over 90% of hemp-derived consumer products, including non-intoxicating CBD items that contain trace levels of THC.
Jonathan Miller, General Counsel, U.S. Hemp Roundtable, said in a statement: “Senator McConnell got hemp right in the 2018 Farm Bill, and again today when he said that we need to prohibit dangerous synthetic and copycat products, while keeping all hemp products out of the hands of children.
“However, how that is done matters. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable believes that the best way to do that is through robust regulation, not prohibition.
“Regulation will protect hemp farmers and the $28 billion economic engine that is the hemp industry while also offering the protections that the Senate is seeking. A blanket ban on more than 90% of hemp consumable products is not the right path.
“We are grateful to Senator Merkley for negotiating a one-year delay on implementation, to enable time to fix the language that was approved today. We look forward to working with Members of Congress in the coming months on this critical goal.
While lawmakers from both chambers will need to reconcile the differences between their versions, industry analysts say the combined momentum behind these proposals signals a major turning point for hemp policy in the US.
Despite the one-year implementation delay, many in the industry remain concerned. Under current extraction techniques, it is rare for CBD products to be entirely free of THC, meaning they may fall foul of the proposed ban even if they are non-intoxicating.
The post Senate Committee Passes ‘Hemp Killing’ Legislation, But Gives Hemp Businesses 1 Year Delay appeared first on Business of Cannabis.
Continue reading...
