‘Hemp Killing’ US Farm Bill Approved by Congressional Committee, Putting Entire Industry at Risk
Senate Approves Agriculture-FDA Spending Bill: Future of US Hemp Industry at Risk.
The US Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Agriculture-FDA spending bill unanimously this week, placing the future of the country’s hemp industry in serious danger.
The 2025 US Farm Bill, a piece of legislation passed every year to fund farming programmes, has now been approved by both chambers of congress following a vote earlier this week.
In May, Business of Cannabis reported that the ‘Mary Miller’ amendment had been added to the Farm Bill via a procedural tactic whereby all amendments were passed as a block, meaning there was no chance to vote on each amendment individually.
This amendment is designed to regulate the flourishing intoxicating hemp industry.
Compounds like HHC and Delta-8 THC have proliferated across the US in recent months, and while a number of individual states have moved to regulate them, they remain legal and sparsely regulated at a federal level.
However, the amendment to the Farm Bill would also have a major impact on the country’s hemp and CBD industries, making 90-95% of hemp products on the market, including FDA approved animal feed, banned.
The amendment in question contains language that would effectively ban most consumable hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including delta-8 THC and CBD items containing any ‘quantifiable’ amount of THC.
According to the US Hemp Roundtable, a similar tactic has been used to shoehorn the amendment, into the Agriculture/FDA Appropriations bill, which funds all agriculture programs.
Following a vote earlier this week, this legislation has now passed with little debate through the GOP dominated congressional committee.
Despite tireless efforts from the US Hemp Roundtable to lobby members of congress, seeing their lobbyists and allied groups hold over 100 meetings, they failed to secure a change to the language of the bill.
One small silver lining, however, came from Rep. Dan Newhouse, who was able to negotiate with Chairman Harris the following report language into the bill.
“Intoxicating Cannabinoids.—The Committee directs the FDA to evaluate the public health and safety implications of ingestible, inhalable, or topical products on the market that contain intoxicating cannabinoids. The Committee encourages the FDA to assert a stronger commitment to identifying lawful federal regulatory parameters that will protect the public health, such as labeling requirements on all hemp-derived products; testing procedures and standards to ensure product compliance and adverse event reporting; packaging requirements to prevent marketing to minors; and mandatory age limits for these products at the point of purchase. FDA should provide a briefing to the committee within 180 days of the passage of this bill on the authorities needed to adequately regulate cannabinoid hemp products, including authorities to support consumer safety.”
While this language is not binding, the US Hemp Roundtable remains optimistic that having language on record calling for regulation, not prohibition, will prove critical as the fight continues.
