A US Congressman has tabled a bill to delay the introduction of a ban on hemp THC products in the country.
In November, a funding bill, passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, included a clause defining the sale of hemp products.
The clause stated “hemp-derived cannabinoid products” with THC content exceeding 0.3% will no longer be permitted for sale, nor would any “final” hemp-based cannabinoid goods with more than 0.4mg of THC per container.
The regulations are currently due to come into force in November this year, 12 months on from the passing of the funding bill.
On Monday (12 January), Indiana Congressman Jim Baird filed legislation which requested the spending bill's implementation to be delayed until 2028.
The measure read: "Section 781 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act 2026 is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking '365 days' and inserting '3 years'."
Then in a statement yesterday (13 January), Baird said "planting and growing crops requires planning well in advance".
He added: "Congress created a regulatory environment in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed for certain investments, and farmers were operating within this environment. The hemp provision included in the Continuing Resolution and Appropriations bills passed in November 2025 disrupted planting decisions that had already been made.
"Congress should not have passed such a sweeping policy change that upends a growing industry. Instead, Congress should have given farmers more time, creating a more stable environment for farmers to modify their future planting decisions. I am proud to introduce this legislation to ensure farmers have predictability and sufficient time to adjust to new laws that affect their livelihood."
Hemp and CBD industry coalition, The US Hemp Roundtable, said in November the clause included in the spending bill could see over 95% of hemp-extracted goods banned from the market.
The 2018 Farm Bill legalised hemp for industrial use at the federal level, provided it carried less than 0.3% THC on a dry-weight basis.
Since then, there has been no limit on the amount of THC, the psychoactive compound that hemp-based products could contain. This has meant some producers have been able to extract high concentrations of THC for their products and sell them with limited regulation.
Reflecting on the latest attempt to push back the funding bill's implementation, trade association Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America said the extra two years would enable the country to create a "a thoughtful, enforceable regulatory framework for intoxicating hemp products".
Francis Creighton, WSWA president and CEO, said: "Extending this deadline creates space and urgency for policymakers to do this the right way, rather than rushing toward an outcome that risks pushing consumers into unregulated and unsafe markets."
He added: “A longer implementation period allows Congress to consider durable solutions that prioritise public health and safety, respect state authority, and draw on the proven lesson of alcohol regulation."
