The U.S. Hemp Roundtable has welcomed the passage of last week’s Senate Agriculture Appropriations Bill without any language that could have negatively affected the hemp industry in the United States.
The Bill originally included language that would have prohibited intoxicating hemp-based products. While hemp by legal definition is low in naturally-occurring intoxicating cannabinoids such as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, they can be created by manipulating the non-intoxicating cannabinoid cannabidiol; which hemp can be high in.
Andy Harris, the Chair of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, (R-MD), revived the efforts to impose a ban on hemp by tinkering the FY2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, that would have prohibited any products containing a “quantifiable” amount of THC.
U.S. Hemp Roundtable is the leading organization in the country that advocates hemp businesses. They claim the inclusion of such language could have eliminated more than 95% the hemp industry of the USA.
The removal of language which would have defined hemp, and led to the destruction of industry was a big win for all,” said Jonathan Miller, the group’s general attorney. The Congress has kept its promise to American voters
“We are reaffirming our support to the growing agriculture industry and for farmers.”
Rand Paul is credited as the leader of efforts to remove it. He continues to look for common ground and compromises.
Miller stated that “we hope these discussions serve as an important framework for moving forward, as we work together with Congress in order to adopt robust regulations instead of prohibiting the products on which consumers rely.” “We are grateful for Senator Mitch McConnell’s willingness to hear the hemp industry’s supporters and to pass robust regulations,” said Mr. Miller.
Kentucky is the home of U.S. Hemp Roundtable and they worked together with Sen. McConnell to pass 2018 Farm Bill, which legalised hemp as an agricultural product. It also led to the proliferation of products that are intoxicating due to loopholes within the legal definition for hemp.
It’s now a question of trying to put the genie in the bottle. Market growth in the U.S. for intoxicating hemp cannabinoids has been huge. Sales have jumped from USD 200.5 million to $2.8 billion by 2023, a 1,283% increase. The market has grown even more since then to approximately $3.8 Billion.