The multimillion-dollar hemp industry is at a crossroads. Congress is considering a move that would effectively ban most hemp-derived products nationwide, including THC drinks, THCA flower, and even many CBD goods. The market has boomed since President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill—but where does the White House stand now?
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The proposed hemp ban is folded into a sweeping bill meant to reopen the federal government after the longest shutdown in history. The provision has stirred controversy: Republican Senator Rand Paul has already threatened to delay the vote if the hemp ban remains. When asked about Paul’s opposition, a Trump administration official told NBC News the president, “…supports the current language in the bill on hemp.”
The report surprised many in the hemp industry, who saw Trump as a supporter of the plant—both cannabis and hemp. Earlier this year, a video touting the benefits of CBD for older adults appeared on his social media channels. He’s also spoken publicly about cannabis’s therapeutic potential and even announced his intent to vote for adult-use legalization in Florida during the 2024 campaign.
Furthermore, the fact that Trump ushered in the Farm Bill was more evidence that he supported the legislation as written.
“I don’t think Donald Trump is going to take kindly to Mitch McConnell undoing a $28 billion industry that Donald Trump signed into law,” Thomas Winstanley, executive vice president of hemp-derived marketplace Edibles.com, previously told GreenState. “You know, McConnell’s just on mine, unwinding something that Donald Trump deserves the credit for.”
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It’s possible Trump simply wants to reopen the government and sees other parts of the bill as bigger political wins.
“Senate leadership has sacrificed the hemp industry in a deal to reopen the government,” said Jim Higdon, founder of Cornbread Hemp, in a statement sent to GreenState.
Trump’s political positions have been anything but consistent. While he may support a hemp ban today, that could change tomorrow. For now, advocates will have to wait and see. The proposal wouldn’t take effect for a year, giving the industry time to regroup—and to fight back.
