Hemp farmers and industry advocates will have a challenging time stopping the planned federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that\u2019s scheduled to take effect later this year, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) says.<\/p>\n
But, he added, it will be easier to pass legislation on the issue next year when Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who led the push for the new ban, will likely be replaced by another Republican senator who supports keeping the crop\u2019s derivates legal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the way Congress handled it and treated the hemp industry was really unfair,\u201d Cruz said during a Zoom meeting with members of the group Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA) on Tuesday. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t right, and it didn\u2019t make sense. I think there are clearly abuses, and there are abuses that we need to be concerned about, but simply acting in a heavy-handed way to destroy another industry\u2014that doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, Trump signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will remain legal after November 12.<\/p>\n
Both the initial legalization and the rollback were championed by McConnell, who is retiring after this year and who reportedly sees it as a key part of his legacy to close a \u201cloophole\u201d that allowed intoxicating products to proliferate.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers from both parties have filed legislation to delay, reverse or alter the scheduled recriminalization, but none of those bills have gained traction with House or Senate leadership.<\/p>\n
Cruz told the hemp operatives during the meeting that if McConnell is \u201cleaning in really hard, saying, \u2018don\u2019t do anything on this\u2019\u2014you know, I\u2019m not someone to blow smoke up your ass\u2014that means the votes probably aren\u2019t there\u201d in 2026.<\/p>\n
The senator said in response to a question from a hemp operator that \u201cthe right political answer would be to say \u2018yes, there\u2019s hope’\u201d of forestalling the ban in the short term.<\/p>\n
But \u201cif Mitch is dug in hard, it is a very uphill path,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know that it\u2019s impossible. The best hope of something happening would be something on the Farm Bill that was a compromise. I\u2019d be supportive of that, but\u2026it is a difficult road.\u201d<\/p>\n