In a significant legislative move, President Donald Trump has signed a government funding bill that includes a provision to prohibit the sale of all intoxicating hemp products.
This amendment, which was incorporated into the bill passed by Congress to conclude the government shutdown, is set to be enforced in one year.
As reported by The Post Millennial, the new measure specifically targets hemp products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) per container. It further imposes restrictions on cannabinoids with similar effects and bans those synthesized or produced outside the natural plant.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is anticipated to issue a comprehensive list within 90 days, detailing which synthetic and natural cannabinoids will be subject to the ban. This could potentially impact products such as certain vapes, THC-infused beverages, and gummies.
Hemp, a derivative of the cannabis plant, found its legal footing under the 2018 farm bill, which inadvertently allowed for the sale of low-THC products due to a loophole. However, the newly signed bill does not extend its prohibition to nonintoxicating cannabidiol (CBD) and industrial hemp products, which remain permissible.
The US Hemp Roundtable has voiced grave concerns over the amendment, cautioning that it "threatens to eliminate Americas $28.4 billion hemp industry and jeopardizes more than 300,000 American jobs." The organization predicts that the amendment could decimate 95 percent of the market, leading to the closure of small businesses and farms, while costing states an estimated $1.5 billion in lost tax revenue.
Despite efforts to counter the amendment, Senator Rand Paul's attempt to introduce a revision in the Senate was unsuccessful. Paul contended that the timing of the measure "couldnt come at a worse time for Americas farmers" and warned that it would "eradicate the hemp industry."
Proponents of the restrictions argue that they are essential to curb exploitation of the 2018 farm bill's loophole. Senator Mitch McConnell emphasized that companies have been "exploiting" this loophole by converting legal amounts of THC from hemp into intoxicating substances.
Furthermore, a coalition of attorneys general recently alerted Congress that the loophole had been "wrongly exploited by bad actors to sell recreational synthetic THC products across the country."
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