Overview
- The Senate approved a government funding package that rewrites the federal definition of hemp and caps total THC at 0.4 milligrams per container, targeting intoxicating hemp-derived products such as delta‑8 and THCA.
- Sen. Rand Paul’s effort to strip the hemp language failed and he voted against the bill, while Sen. Mitch McConnell defended the change as closing a 2018 Farm Bill loophole to protect children.
- House consideration is expected this week, with some Republicans signaling opposition to the hemp provision even as leaders seek to pass the broader package to reopen the government.
- If enacted, the hemp change would take effect after a one‑year delay, a window stakeholders are preparing to use to seek revisions or replacement regulations.
- Industry groups warn the cap would render most current products illegal and threaten jobs and state-regulated low‑dose markets, while supporters including a coalition of 39 attorneys general and law‑enforcement allies argue it addresses public‑safety risks.