The multibillion-dollar hemp industry has been searching for a lifeline after a 2025 federal spending bill put the market in peril. Stakeholders hoped an amendment to the 2026 Farm Bill would provide relief, but a key congressional committee failed to advance the measure.
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The federal definition of hemp is set to change in November, a shift that could force many products off store shelves. An amendment proposed by Rep. Jim Baird (R-Ind.) would have delayed the change by one year. Industry advocates say they need more time to work with lawmakers on a regulatory framework.
However, the House Agriculture Committee declined to take up the amendment. Chairman Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) said the issue falls outside the committee’s jurisdiction. Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) took up Baird’s proposal while he was absent from the hearing, but failed to win enough support.
The 2026 Farm Bill does address hemp in limited ways. Farmers growing industrial hemp for seed or fiber could see looser testing requirements, but would need to prove they are planting “low-risk” crops. Anyone who knowingly cultivates intoxicating hemp could have their license revoked for up to five years.
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A separate bill that would delay the pending hemp ban continues to move through Congress, though time is running short. Legislation that would regulate hemp nationwide is also being considered but stakeholders maintain an extension is critical.
“We need to have a two-year extension on this ban, because it’s going to take time to develop a regulatory regime,” Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, previously told GreenState. “This November [deadline] is not enough time for that to happen.”
Despite bipartisan support and strong consumer demand, the hemp market remains at risk. Industry operators say they hope lawmakers can reach a compromise before the deadline.
