Hemp Industry Urges Trump To Stop Congress From ‘Reversing’ The Crop’s Legalization That He Signed Into Law

A leading hemp industry organization has sent a letter to President Donald
Trump, applauding him for his role in legalizing the crop during his first
term and imploring him to prevent Congress from “reversing” the reform by
banning hemp products containing any amount of THC.

In the letter—which is being accompanied by an online petition to Trump
that supporters can sign—the U.S. Hemp Roundtable said that when the
president signed the 2018 Farm Bill that federally legalized hemp, he
“ushered in a new era for the American hemp industry.”

“As hemp producers, farmers, consumers, and advocates, we are grateful and
remain hopeful that your influence can save the $28.4 billion hemp industry
that you helped make possible,” it says. “The recent video you shared about
the extraordinary value of hemp products was important, raising awareness
on the positive impact our American-grown and manufactured products have.”

That’s referring to the president’s social media share of a video from The
Commonwealth Project that touted the health benefits of hemp-derived CBD,
particularly for senior citizens.

“Here at the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, our members are focused on giving
Americans choices in improving their overall health and wellness,” the
letter says. “Unfortunately, the federal government hasn’t kept up. Despite
a lack of federal regulation and clear guidelines, we’ve done the right
thing with self-regulation and job creation, but now we need your help!”

“Congress is close to passing a hemp ban, reversing the work you led in
2018 to make hemp blossom,” it continues. “A proposed definition change to
hemp, being touted as protecting Americans, would wipe out 95 percent of
this uniquely American industry that you are so proud of.”

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have raised similar concerns, with a
recent letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pushing back against
attempts to ban hemp THC products. The members argued that such a policy
reversal would “deal a fatal blow” to the industry and, as currently
included in a spending bill, violates congressional rules. To that end, the
members say there are plans in the works to introduce an alternative
measure to regulate the market.

“A more effective way to protect American consumers and jobs would be to
support and demand robust hemp regulation—age restrictions along with
uniform testing, labeling, and packaging requirements,” the hemp
association’s letter states. “Outright prohibition is not the answer, nor
would it make anyone safer. Banning legal hemp products that are already
regulated at the state level will not protect consumers; it would only
shift hemp to the black market and destroy a rising American industry in
the process.”

“Please help us save and properly regulate the powerful, impactful hemp
industry. A ban would put American farmers, American businesses, American
consumers, our veterans, seniors, and more than 328,000 American workers at
risk,” it says, adding that in the red state of Texas, recent polling shows majority
support for regulated hemp sales and increased likelihood of voting for
candidates who back regulation over prohibition.

The related online petition from the U.S. Hemp Roundtable says the
following:

“We, the undersigned, express our gratitude to President Donald J. Trump
for showing his support for protecting the $28.4 billion American hemp
industry. We ask that he work with Congress to ensure America’s robust hemp
industry is not destroyed or banned. We support regulation to keep
consumers safe and look forward to working with our elected officials to
continue building this growing American industry.”

At the federal level, while the Senate ultimately stripped hemp THC ban
language from its version of the agriculture spending measure following a
procedural protest from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), there’s still concern among
stakeholders that it could wind up in the final package delivered to the
president following bicameral negotiations.

Meanwhile, Democratic senators also sent a letter to leadership last month
that warned of the major upheaval that would happen in the hemp market if
products containing any amount of THC were banned.

“Consumer safety and protecting kids while promoting opportunities for
national economic growth in the hemp industry can and must go
hand-in-hand,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who led that letter with Sen. Jeff
Merkley (D-OR), said. “Congress needs to get serious about pursuing
common-sense safeguards to protect kids and consumers and encourage
innovation instead of a one-size-fits-all approach that hinders economic
development and doesn’t keep kids safe.”

Dozens of hemp farmers from Kentucky also recently urged their state’s
senior U.S. senator, McConnell, to back off from his push to recriminalize
some products that are derived from their crops.

Paul, for his part, recently cautioned that the cannabis policy movement
has “swung hard on the prohibitionist side” amid the ongoing debate over
intoxicating hemp products. And he worries that, if things go awry, the
hemp market could be decimated “within the next two weeks.”

Asked about recent conversations with McConnell and Rep. Andy Harris
(R-MD), Paul said “we’ve been working diligently” with the staff “trying to
reach a compromise.”

“A lot of the conversations have been constructive. They say, at least on
the surface, they’re not trying to eliminate it—but I think we are, in some
ways, talking past each other,” he said.


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Meanwhile, Paul recently filed a standalone bill that would go in the
opposite direction of the hemp ban, proposing to triple the concentration
of THC that the crop could legally contain, while addressing multiple other
concerns the industry has expressed about federal regulations.

The senator introduced the legislation, titled the Hemp Economic
Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act, in June. It mirrors versions he’s sponsored
over the last several sessions.

Harris, who championed the hemp THC ban in his chamber version of the
agriculture spending legislation, told Marijuana Moment that he wasn’t
concerned about any potential opposition to the hemp ban in the Senate—and
he also disputed reports about the scope of what his legislation would do
to the industry.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report in June stating
that the legislation would “effectively” prohibit hemp-derived cannabinoid
products. Initially it said that such a ban would prevent the sale of CBD
as well, but the CRS report was updated to exclude that language for
reasons that are unclear.

The hemp language is largely consistent with appropriations and agriculture
legislation that was introduced, but not ultimately enacted, under the last
Congress.

Hemp industry stakeholders rallied against that proposal, an earlier
version of which was also included in the base bill from the subcommittee
last year. It’s virtually identical to a provision of the 2024 Farm Bill
that was attached by a separate committee last May via an amendment from
Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), which was also not enacted into law.

The post Hemp Industry Urges Trump To Stop Congress From ‘Reversing’ The
Crop’s Legalization That He Signed Into Law appeared first on Marijuana
Moment.