Senate Committee Delays Recriminalization of Hemp THC Products

The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations released a bill on Sunday that delays the federal recriminalization of intoxicating hemp THC products until December 11. This measure extends a planned prohibition originally scheduled for November 12, granting the industry nearly a month of continued legal operation. The delay is embedded within a larger funding bill designed to keep federal agencies operational.

Industry advocates, including the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, plan to utilize this extended window to lobby Congress for a regulatory compromise to avoid a total ban. The intoxicating hemp market is a significant economic sector, estimated at over $28 billion last year and supporting approximately 300,000 jobs.

Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, noted that "the reports of hemp’s death have been greatly exaggerated." For the measure to take effect, the bill must be approved by both the House and the Senate, with a procedural vote scheduled for Monday night.