As Congress stumbles toward reopening the government, a quiet maneuver is unfolding, one that could devastate a thriving, new American industry.
Language added to the Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Bill would change the federal definition of hemp — the definition Congress passed in 2018 — in a way that would effectively outlaw nearly every hemp product on the market.
It’s being advanced through the appropriations process, so it’s not subject to the usual public hearings or debates.
A policy that could destroy hundreds of thousands of jobs and close thousands of farms and small businesses might pass in the same vote that funds food assistance programs and pays the military.
This proposal doesn’t just threaten my company. It threatens an entire ecosystem of farmers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers that grew under rules established by Congress. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp products with less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. Businesses like mine invested, hired and innovated within that framework.
Seven years later, hemp is a $28-billion-a-year industry that’s rapidly growing. It supports 320,000 American jobs and generates $1.5 billion in state tax revenue, according to Whitney Economics and USDA data. Major retailers such as Target, Circle K and Total Wine and More have embraced hemp-derived beverages because consumer demand is overwhelming.
This is no longer a niche market — it’s a national one, built by individuals and passionate visionaries. Hemp products ranging from CBD gummies to THC seltzers line shelves in stores across the country.
The proposed language would make those same products illegal overnight. It would wipe out all regulations at the state level, criminalize legitimate businesses, eliminate profitable hemp-farming acreage and force countless adult consumers to the black market, thanks to a heavy-handed federal decision.
Hellbound and Down 