Trump’s Marijuana Order Means Congress Must Delay...

*“Congress, you have your marching orders from the president. Extend the
implementation timeline for the hemp ban.”*

*By Adam Terry, Cantrip*

As was widely reported to be imminent, last week just about the entire
cannabis universe watched President Donald Trump sign an executive order to
reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. What was not as
widely reported was what Trump also did: He directed lawmakers to legislate
again on the new definition of hemp as passed by Congress last month.

The specific text from the executive order reads:

“The Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative,
Political, and Public Affairs shall work with the Congress to update the
statutory definition of final hemp-derived cannabinoid products to allow
Americans to benefit from access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products
while preserving the Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products
that pose serious health risks…”

This provision is careful and specific. It directs a deputy chief of staff
to work with Congress to update the new definition of hemp in direct
recognition of what the hemp industry has been saying for weeks now:
Full-spectrum CBD products are not possible under this new language.

It acknowledges specifically that if CBD products are to be subsidized or
covered by Medicare, as is part of Trump’s plan, those products will be
derived from hemp.

Full-spectrum CBD is crucial to many Americans. It is a lifeline for
veterans and seniors who rely on these products for a variety of
therapeutic purposes. It is a crucial element for some with epilepsy,
including pediatric patients. I have had mothers and fathers message me
expressing that Epidiolex, a federally approved CBD prescription drug,
simply did not work for their kids—and instead they relied on other CBD
products to find relief for their children.

This is not just politics for them, but a stark reality.

You cannot have full-spectrum CBD with only 0.4mg of THC per container, as
is required under the newly enacted change to the federal definition of
hemp, and the president recognized this in his executive order—I’m sure
with the counsel of groups like the Commonwealth Project who were present
at the signing. Because of this, the definition of hemp is very likely to
be reopened and legislated once more.

So here’s the point: This conversation will take time, and likely more than
is left for hemp ahead of the ban set to be enacted late next year. In the
nearly three years I’ve been working with the New Jersey legislature to
craft a bill to regulate hemp cannabinoids in a way that doesn’t decimate
the CBD market, no law at the time of this writing has yet managed to take
full effect in the state because of this complexity.

This means that the best, first step Congress must take is to extend the
deadline for the implementation of the revised hemp definition in order to
ensure full spectrum CBD access remains for the tens of millions of
Americans who will lose access next November should this language take
effect.

With 2026 being a tight election year, most legislation will be slowed to a
crawl after April, and so it is unlikely that a final bill updating this
language and regulating hemp cannabinoids could make it over the finish
line until the next Congress beginning in January 2027. And the extension
must pass soon, as farmers cannot plant in the spring if their crop will be
a crime come harvest time.

I look forward to the ensuing conversation. Hemp must be regulated in this
country, that is clear. The White House just sent a signal that the
prohibitionist redefinition cannot stand if we are to do right by the
people who rely on cannabis the most, particularly across the red states
that voted for this president and have no access to cannabis outside of
hemp products.

Congress, you have your marching orders from the president. Extend the
implementation timeline for the hemp ban, and let’s do the real, hard work
to craft legislation that enshrines safe access to cannabis for Americans
across this great nation.

*Adam Terry is the co-founder and CEO of the THC-infused beverage company
Cantrip.*

The post Trump’s Marijuana Order Means Congress Must Delay The Federal Hemp
Ban’s Timeline (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment.