Senate advances bipartisan proposal to ban most hemp-derived THC products

Congressional lawmakers sent another clear signal that they intend to halt federal protections for intoxicating hemp-derived THC products when a bill that closes the so-called “hemp loophole” passed the U.S.Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Although the redefinition of hemp proposed by U.S.Sens.

Mitch McConnell and Jeff Merkley would not take effect for one year, it would effectively ban 90% of hemp products on the market, hemp advocates warned. ADVERTISEMENT There’s bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for ending the status quo for hemp-derived THC products under federal law.

The 2018 Farm Bill triggered a nationwide rush of intoxicating hemp-derived products, including drinks and edibles as well as THCA flower.In the years since, many states have rushed to ban or restrict hemp-derived THC products, but federal lawmakers have yet to follow suit.

McConnell, a Kentucky Republican and the former Senate majority leader who signed the 2018 Farm Bill with a hemp pen, is particularly keen to eliminate the loophole before his retirement.Redefining hemp under federal law to limit THC, THCA The fiscal 2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which passed Senate Appropriations on a unanimous 27-0 vote on Thursday, creates separate definitions for “industrial hemp” and “hemp-derived cannabinoid products.” It also clarifies that total cannabinoid content must account for tetrahydrocannabinolic acid – an oversight in the 2018 Farm Bill that, despite later clarification from the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, some hemp operators have used to defend sales of THCA flower. ADVERTISEMENT Under the bill, industrial hemp, which remains legal under federal law, is: Cannabis sativa with a “total” THC concentration, including THCA, of 0.3% or less.

Grown for fiber, fuel, food, or “any other non-cannabinoid derivative” final product.The definition of “hem...