By House Votes to Delay Ban
The House of Representatives voted 370-48 on Tuesday to approve a bipartisan funding bill. This measure includes language that delays the federal ban on most hemp cannabinoid products until December 11. The proposal had already been approved by the Senate last month.
The bill is now heading to the president’s desk for his signature. It represents a significant legislative step for the hemp industry. Lawmakers sought to provide temporary relief from strict new regulations.
Specific products containing cannabinoids not naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant are exempt from this delay. Those items will become prohibited starting November 12.
The one-month extension applies to other hemp-derived products.
Bipartisan Support and Reaction
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) originally introduced the legislation alongside Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). She cheered the bipartisan approval as “good news for Minnesota’s farmers, brewers, small businesses, and customers.” Klobuchar made these remarks in a statement.
She urged the President to sign the bill immediately. Klobuchar stated, “The President should sign this bipartisan bill into law immediately.” She argued the delay gives producers and retailers certainty. It also allows Congress more time to find a long-term fix.
The U.S. Hemp Roundtable responded to the vote in a press release. The group said, “This extension gives us one additional month, and we intend to make every day count.” They plan to continue working with lawmakers on a federal framework.
Senate Debate and Next Steps
The delay provision survived a challenge by North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd in the Senate. Budd argued action was necessary to remove intoxicating hemp products from stores. He displayed examples of packaging mimicking candy during a presentation on the Senate floor.
Budd stated, “The resemblance here is absolutely outrageous.” He claimed the products are putting kids at risk each and every day. His effort to strip the delay out of the bill failed. The provision remained in the final text.
Hemp farmers and producers had argued that new THC limitations would spell disaster for their industry. Kentucky lawmakers on both sides of the aisle largely agreed with this concern.
