WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate passed a bill to fund the government that will give roughly another month for hemp products derived from hemp before federal regulations on these products are implemented.
Senate approves stopgap measure to fund federal government till Dec. 11th. 90-6 votes were cast in the Senate on August 8, 3:58 AM EST. The legislation contains a hidden provision which would postpone the implementation of certain key elements of a federal crackdown on hemp originally set to begin Nov. 12th.
Before it can become law, the measure must be approved by the House of Representatives. It also needs to receive President Donald Trump’s signature.
For hemp companies that have spent the past year preparing for what many have described as an existential threat to the industry, the provision amounts to a temporary reprieve—but not a solution.
Under legislation enacted last year, the federal definition of hemp is set to change from a standard based primarily on delta-9 THC to one based on total THC, including THCA and other forms of THC. Cannabinoid hemp products that are finished would be restricted to contain no more than 0.4 milligrams total THC.
These restrictions will likely eliminate large portions of the hemp-infused market. This includes many of the hemp-infused gummies and beverages, as well as other hemp products, which have been proliferating since the 2018 Farm Bill made hemp legal in the United States.
The Senate spending bill would push the implementation date for most of those restrictions from Nov. 12 to Dec. 11.
It is very important to make this distinction. This legislation doesn’t repeal federal hemp restrictions, nor does it establish a permanent framework of regulation for THC derived from hemp. It gives legislators and industry several weeks more to come up with a long-term solution.
Morgan Tweet CEO of IND Hemp, speaking exclusively to Cannabis Now via email is pointed in his response.
After the drama that surrounded a four-week extension, it is important to not declare victory. The businesses will make the most of every extra day, but this is only a temporary solution until Congress can return to creating a lasting solution.
They aren’t fundamentally incorrect about the necessity to protect children, to remove sellers who don’t comply with the rules and to bring accountability to the market. They are now seen as the best potential partners to help us build a solution for the future, replacing prohibition with smarter rules and not an outright ban.
Congress still has four weeks. This cannot be just another delay. This framework must protect consumers, give clear rules to operators, open up markets for American farmers, and ensure the future success of industrial hemp. Morgan stated that the Goodness of Hemp Campaign is working towards achieving this goal.
Washington is divided over how to handle hemp-based intoxicants.
The crackdown is supported by those who claim that psychoactive cannabinoids products have been sold on the market without age restrictions or adequate consumer protections. The opponents, which include hemp farmers and businesses, claim that an outright banning would destroy legitimate businesses as well as bad actors. It will also eliminate a federally-created market.
Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) proposed an amendment. Ted Budd, R-N.C. and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. This would have eliminated the delay, and maintained the implementation date of November. This effort was rejected by the Senate, which allowed the extension of one month to be included in the budget package.
Hemp industry still has a lot of time to go.
The extension, which is about four weeks long, could provide lawmakers with more time to examine proposals that regulate hemp intoxicants rather than eliminate a significant portion of the cannabis market. Advocates for the industry have called on approaches that focus on age restrictions and testing. They also want to see potency limitations, as well as labeling.
“This delay gives us the opportunity to move forward with reasonable, responsible legislation—one that addresses legitimate safety concerns while taking the first meaningful step toward creating a clear and durable regulatory framework for America’s hemp industry,” added Howard Lee the CEO of Sorse Technologies.
It’s a big deal. In 2018, the Farm Bill defined hemp as a hemp with a THC delta-9 threshold, and opened up a market of cannabinoids made from hemp. In the years since, products containing delta-8 THC as well as THCA or other cannabinoids are widely available. However, states have taken a very different approach to regulation.
New rules from the federal government were intended to plug what legislators have called a “loophole”. The changes are so broad that hemp growers, hemp processors, hemp manufacturers, and hemp retailers have expressed opposition. They say they go beyond the intoxicating product and threaten the legitimate hemp economy.
The industry still has about one month left to present its arguments.
This does not mean that Congress is guaranteed to reach an agreement on a permanent basis before December 11. It does not exclude the possibility that Congress could change the provisions or even that final legislation may take on a completely different form.
The November deadline, for now, has been moved.
Hemp businesses were given the time they needed after preparing months for federal accountability.
The question is whether Washington will use it to build a regulatory framework—or simply postpone the same confrontation until December.
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