Trump Signs Spending Bill Containing Federal Crackdown on Hemp THC Sales

President Donald Trump (R) this week signed legislation to effectively kill the multi-billion-dollar U.S. industry that has developed around hemp-derived THC sales.

The spending agreement ends the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. However, the Senate added provisions in the bill to federally ban the sale of hemp-derived THC products, which have been unregulated since the 2018 Farm Bill. The House approved the Senate proposal on Wednesday, and the president signed the bill into law shortly afterwards.

The Senate proposal was approved 60 – 40 mostly on party lines, with eight Democrats voting alongside GOP lawmakers to reopen the government. The House voted 222 – 209 in favor of the bill — all but six Democrats opposed the proposal, and all but two Republicans voted in favor.

With Trump’s signature, the president is shuttering an industry that he helped create when signing the federal hemp reforms into law during his first term. A White House official confirmed this week that Trump supports the hemp language.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) had pushed for senators to drop the hemp restrictions, but only managed to secure a one-year delay on the rules.

The bill will recriminalize hemp-derived THC and redefines hemp as “grown for the use of the whole grain, oil, cake, nut, hull, or any other non cannabinoid compound, derivative, mixture, preparation, or manufacture of the seeds,” and “grown for purposes of producing microgreens or other edible hemp leaf products intended for human consumption that are derived from an immature hemp plant that is grown from seeds that do not exceed” 0.3% THC.

The language “will ban more than 95% of all hemp extract products,” according to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable. The organization said it will spend the next year working toward federal regulations for hemp products, rather than an outright ban.

Ken Meyer, co-owner of Complete Hemp Processing and co-chair of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable’s Farmer Advisory Council, lauded the industry’s resiliency.

“Time and time again, American farmers have proven to be resilient, and hemp is no different. The 2018 Farm Bill gave us a chance to embrace innovation and invest in a profitable crop. Our focus now is education of Congress and building a path that secures hemp for future generations and keeps farmers in business.” — Meyer, in a press release