To amend the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2026, to delay the implementation of amendments made by such Act to the hemp production provisions of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946.
Summary
This bill extends by two years the implementation of changes to the regulation of hemp products, which reimpose certain federal controls over some hemp products.
Specifically, Congress enacted the FY2026 agriculture appropriations act (P.L. 119-37) on November 12, 2025. Effective November 12, 2026, the act modifies the statutory definition of hemp products that are considered to be lawful. This bill extends the effective date to November 12, 2028.
As background, the 2018 farm bill excluded hemp from the Controlled Substances Act definition of marijuana and defined hemp. As a result, hemp and hemp-derived products at or below the 0.3% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana) concentration threshold were no longer regulated as Schedule I controlled substances and registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration was no longer required to cultivate or handle hemp and hemp-derived products. However, hemp remained subject to Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration regulation.
The 2025 changes to the definition of hemp, include
- changing the limit to a total THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis rather than only delta-9 THC,
- explicitly including industrial hemp,
- excluding seeds from a cannabis plant that exceed a certain THC concentration, and
- excluding various types of hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
Cannabinoids refer to unique chemical compounds that are found in hemp and marijuana (e.g., THC) and are known to exhibit a range of psychological and physiological effects.
Timeline
- May 20, 2026Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- Jan 12, 2026Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- Jan 12, 2026Introduced in House
- Jan 12, 2026Introduced in House
Cosponsors
In the News
- 2026 Farm Bill Advances Without Changes to Intoxicating Hemp Ban - roundtable.io
- Delays sought for hemp legislation updates - DerbyInformer.com
- New Bill Introduced to Extend Hemp Ban Timeline - Beverage Information Group
- Baird introduces Hemp Planting Predictability Act - The Fence Post
- New Bill In Congress Seeks To Postpone Hemp THC Ban - Forbes
- Congress moves to delay federal hemp ban - greenstate.com
- Nonprofit Assistance During the Covid-19 Pandemic - Baker Institute
- Congress.gov New, Tip, and Top 20 in 2020 - The Library of Congress (.gov)
- SBA issues interim rules for PPP loan forgiveness, but Congress might still ease them - repairerdrivennews.com
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: Legislative Issues in the 116th Congress - Every CRS Report
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