U.S. House legislators are tackling a bill of appropriations that has to pass. This proposal aims at rewriting hemp’s rules, so the legality and efficacy of products like delta-8 THC edibles will no longer be questioned.
On Friday, June 4, The House Appropriations Committee announced the “Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill”, fiscal year 2026. On June 4, the House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2026 “Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill”.
Every year, this legislation passes to fund the farm program.
As introduced, however, the proposal for 2026 would redefine hemp in order to exclude all hemp-derived products that contain cannabinoids (finished goods).
- The cannabinoids are synthetic and cannot be naturally made.
- Cannabinoids which are not produced naturally but have been synthesized outside the plant.
- Quantitative amounts of THC, THCA or cannabinoids with similar effects in humans and animals.
The law authorizes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to define what amounts of THC and cannabinoids are “quantifiable”.
The definition of industrial hemp, which is grown for fibre, grain and other purposes that are not cannabinoid-related, will be separate.
The legislation will reverse the definition of hemp, which was defined as hemp containing less than 0.3% THC delta-9 on a weight basis, during the pre-harvest test. This is what the Farm Bill 2018 provided, when it legalized hemp federally.
After the Farm Bill of 2018, the hemp market has become a billion-dollar business, particularly in states without cannabis legalization. For example, Texas. There, cannabinoids extracted from legal hemp are manufactured and sold as consumables in gas stations, vape shops, and convenience stores that are unregulated.
Tom Cole, R. Oklahoma, Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee released on 4 June a four page summary of the spending bill for 2026, writing that “health, security, and prosperity” of American producers, consumers, and workers are put first.
Among the key takeaways in the summary, the authors wrote that the bill “supports the Trump administration and mandates of the American people by … closing the hemp loophole that has resulted in the proliferation of unregulated intoxicating hemp products, including delta-8 and hemp flower, being sold online and in gas stations across the country.”
Cole also said that Andy Harris, R.-Md. who is known for his anti-cannabis stances “stewarded” this legislation.
Harris has become a household name among Washington, D.C. industry players for leading a federal riding that prevents the city to tax and regulate adult-use marijuana sales. This is despite the fact that district voters voted 70% in favor of legalization back in 2014.
Harris is the chair of the House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, who marked up the spending bill for 2026 on 5 June and gave it a favorable report to the entire committee.
“This bill also closes the hemp loophole from the 2018 Farm Bill that has resulted in the proliferation of intoxicating cannabinoid products, including delta-8 and hemp flower being sold online and in gas stations nationwide under the false guise of being ‘USDA approved,'” Harris said during Thursday’s markup hearing. As many states have taken action to prevent these harmful products reaching consumers and children in particular, it is time for Congress act to close the loophole, while protecting legitimate industrial hemp.
The House Agriculture Committee of the last Congress approved an amendment proposed by Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) that contained similar language in order to define hemp. This would have had devastating effects on the industry for cannabinoid industrial hemp. That amendment was added to the House’s version of the 2024 Farm Bill reauthorization bill that never found the finish line—the reauthorization, which was supposed to unfold in 2023, was delayed another year.
Miller’s amended would, in part have defined hemp as including total THC and THCA when calculating the 0.3% dry weight calculation for Farm Bill.
RELATED: THCA in the Farm Bill: Amendment Goes Far Beyond Closing ‘Loopholes’
USHR (U.S. Hemp Roundtable), an organization which advocates for business, said that the spending bill of fiscal year 2026 was another clear attack on legal hemp.
In a statement released on June 4, the group said that “Rep. Andy Harris has revived his crusade against the hemp industry, inserting damaging language in a federal budget bill.” The organization urged its supporters and members to call their elected representatives to voice opposition to the provisions.
“Buried on page 113 … is a provision that redefines hemp in a way that could ban the vast majority of safe, legal hemp-derived products sold nationwide—any product with any ‘quantifiable’ level of THC,” according to the USHR.
Harris had also included Miller’s amendment in the fiscal 2025 Agriculture/FDA Appropriations Bill, but it was eventually defeated.
The U.S. House of Representatives has taken up an appropriations measure that must pass. It proposes to rewrite the hemp rules so that intoxicating edibles such as delta-8-THC are no longer a question.
The House Appropriations Committee announced the “Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill”, fiscal year 2026, on Friday, June 4. The House Appropriations committee released the “Agriculture and Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration and Related Agencies” fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill on June 4.
Every year, this legislation passes to fund the farm program.
The 2026 proposal as presented would define hemp by excluding any cannabinoid-containing hemp products.
- Cannabinoids which are not able to be produced naturally;
- Cannabinoids which are not produced naturally but have been synthesized outside the plant.
- Quantitative THC or THCA amounts or cannabinoids which have the same effect on animals or humans.
The law authorizes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to define what amounts of THC and cannabinoids are “quantifiable”.
Industrial hemp used for grain, fiber or any other purpose other than cannabinoids would also be classified separately.
The legislation will reverse the definition of hemp, which was defined as hemp containing less than 0.3% THC delta-9 on a weight basis, during the pre-harvest test. This is what the Farm Bill 2018 provided, when it legalized hemp federally.
After the Farm Bill of 2018, the hemp market has become a billion-dollar business, particularly in states without cannabis legalization. For example, Texas. There, cannabinoids extracted from legal hemp are manufactured and sold as consumables in gas stations, vape shops and convenience store.
Tom Cole, R. Oklahoma, Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee released on 4 June a four page summary of the spending bill for 2026, writing that “health, security, and prosperity” of American producers, consumers, and workers are put first.
Among the key takeaways in the summary, the authors wrote that the bill “supports the Trump administration and mandates of the American people by … closing the hemp loophole that has resulted in the proliferation of unregulated intoxicating hemp products, including delta-8 and hemp flower, being sold online and in gas stations across the country.”
Cole added that Andy Harris (R-Md. ), who had a long history of taking anti-cannabis positions, was the “go-to” person for this bill.
Harris has become a household name among Washington, D.C. industry players for being the driving force behind a federal riding that prevents the city of Washington from taxing or regulating the adult-use marijuana sales. This is despite the fact that district voters voted 70% in favor of legalizing cannabis back in 2014.
Harris is the chair of the House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, who marked up the spending bill for 2026 on 5 June and gave it a favorable report to the entire committee.
“This bill also closes the hemp loophole from the 2018 Farm Bill that has resulted in the proliferation of intoxicating cannabinoid products, including delta-8 and hemp flower being sold online and in gas stations nationwide under the false guise of being ‘USDA approved,'” Harris said during Thursday’s markup hearing. As many states have taken action to prevent these harmful products reaching consumers and children in particular, it is time for Congress act to close the loophole, while protecting legitimate industrial hemp.
The House Agriculture Committee of the last Congress approved an amendment proposed by Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) that contained similar language in order to define hemp. This would have had devastating effects on the industry for cannabinoids hemp. That amendment was added to the House’s version of the 2024 Farm Bill reauthorization bill that never found the finish line—the reauthorization, which was supposed to unfold in 2023, was delayed another year.
Miller’s amended would, in part have defined hemp as including total THC and THCA when calculating the 0.3% dry weight calculation for Farm Bill.
RELATED: THCA in the Farm Bill: Amendment Goes Far Beyond Closing ‘Loopholes’
USHR (U.S. Hemp Roundtable), an organization which advocates for business, said that the spending bill of fiscal year 2026 was another clear attack on legal hemp.
Rep. Andy Harris, who is a member of the House, has resurrected his crusade in order to destroy the hemp industries by inserting harmful words into the federal spending bill, the organization said. It urged members and supporters to speak to their legislators to protest the provisions.
“Buried on page 113 … is a provision that redefines hemp in a way that could ban the vast majority of safe, legal hemp-derived products sold nationwide—any product with any ‘quantifiable’ level of THC,” according to the USHR.
Harris had also included Miller’s amendment in the fiscal 2025 Agriculture/FDA Appropriations Bill, but it was eventually defeated.
Cannabis Law Resources in Poland
Browse essential legal pages on cannabis sales and cultivation in Poland. You can use these resources to learn about the requirements for certification, permissions and compliance.
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Polish News Registration and Interests of Cannabis Businesses
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Permissions for Cannabis Sales in Poland
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Authorization for Importing or Manufacturing Medical Products
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Permission for Manufacturing or Importing Medical Products
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Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
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Registration of Medical Products in Poland