{"id":86325,"date":"2026-07-15T12:38:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T20:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/gop-senator-says-keeping-hemp-thc-products-legal-is-an-issue-that-can-unite-lawmakers-at-a-hyperpartisan-time\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T19:47:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T03:47:53","slug":"gop-senator-says-keeping-hemp-thc-products-legal-is-an-issue-that-can-unite-lawmakers-at-a-hyperpartisan-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2026\/07\/15\/gop-senator-says-keeping-hemp-thc-products-legal-is-an-issue-that-can-unite-lawmakers-at-a-hyperpartisan-time\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP Senator Says Keeping Hemp THC Products Legal Is An Issue That Can Unite Lawmakers At A \u2018Hyperpartisan\u2019 Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

A Republican senator is previewing forthcoming bipartisan legislation to reverse the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC products this year and replace it with a new regulatory system that includes age limits and taxes.<\/p>\n

Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) said the issue is \u201cimportant to me personally\u201d as a wounded veteran \u201cwho has a lot of friends who\u2019ve gone through various stages of healing after the war\u201d and also as someone who represents an agriculture-focused state.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m optimistic that in a hyperpartisan time when it appears like we can\u2019t get anything passed, this might actually be a subject where we can see both executive and legislative success,\u201d the GOP lawmaker said during a Zoom meeting with members of the group Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA) on Wednesday. \u201cThat\u2019s going to be good for America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheehy said there is a \u201cbipartisan group coalescing around\u201d the issue, citing lawmakers such as Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) who he is partnering with hemp reform legislation that he said will be introduced \u201crelatively soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re contemplating a number of legislative actions here that support the hemp industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The senator, who has separately championed veterans-focused psychedelics legislation<\/a>, noted that the Trump administration has been pushing Congress to delay, amend or alter the planned hemp ban and has also been taking steps to accelerate therapeutic access to substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve signaled support for a lot of non-standard treatments, a lot of non-standard drugs, a lot of non-standard substances that historically\u2014by historically I mean hundreds of years ago\u2014have been used for a long time, but in the last 50 years have been restricted from usage,\u201d Sheehy said.<\/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

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) last month, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said\u00a0the administration wants lawmakers to \u201censure the fair treatment of hemp products\u201d<\/a>\u2014specifically citing legislation that would keep many hemp products legal that are currently set to be recriminalized this year, add labeling requirements and institute new taxes on sales, among other regulatory reforms.<\/p>\n

During the meeting with industry representatives on Wednesday, Sheehy noted how hemp products have \u201ccontinuously proved to be effective in helping\u201d veterans dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain\u2014especially as an alternative to opioids and alcohol.<\/p>\n

The senator also responded to questions from HIFA members who asked about the specific details of the soon-to-be introduced hemp reform legislation.<\/p>\n

In response to one person who noted that hemp farmers often have to destroy a significant percentage of their crops due to compliance issues, Sheehy said that his legislation as drafted would raise the threshold for legal hemp crops to 1 percent THC, up from the current 0.3 percent limit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has all been obviously crafted with industry and farmer input,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve heard from the various stakeholders that they feel this will give enough certainty and flexibility for crop cultivation, that this will give the security and the safety net they need to to be able to invest in this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Replying to a separate question about taxes on hemp products, Sheehy said that the rate of 5 cents per milligram of THC for beverages\u00a0 that is currently in the bill, along with a 5 percent user fee for other hemp-derived products for interstate commerce, is \u201ca place where the business can thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still a fair balance between the producers and the taxpayers and the consumers that strikes that middle ground,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, of course, we\u2019ve got to get this passed. It\u2019s got to go through negotiation and conference. That could change.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014
\nMarijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
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\n\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

On that note, the senator said that the bill is \u201cnot going to be perfect out the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think in trying to get something done bipartisan and get it approved by the admin and get it passed into law, we\u2019re going to have to accept close enough and good enough initially, and hopefully tweak it later,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Other issues addressed during the call included how to keep children from accessing intoxicating hemp products and protecting the ability of companies to engage in interstate commerce.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Sheehy expressed optimism that Congress could pass legislation to keep hemp products legal this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we have an actual profitable crop that there\u2019s genuine free market demand for that crop, and we have the ability to grow that crop in America and sell it profitably with free market enterprise reigning, and it\u2019s not even government subsidized\u2014it\u2019s silly not to let that thrive,\u201d the senator said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, yes, there\u2019s a limit to that. We don\u2019t want to be growing opium and you know heroin all that stuff and cocaine,\u201d he said. \u201cI get it, but this is not that. And I think it\u2019s important that we institute a legal framework around this because if we don\u2019t, it\u2019ll always be perceived as one of these. It\u2019ll still be tucked in the corner of a fringe drug that\u2019s bad and has to be banned. I think if we bring it into the light, we regulate it, we provide a framework around it. It\u2019s going to be accepted it\u2019s going to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security under the first Trump administration recently sent a letter warning congressional against keeping hemp THC products legal<\/a>, claiming that reversing the ban that is set to take effect later this year would \u201cundermine public health\u201d and \u201cembolden foreign criminal actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Trump administration, however, \u201cwelcomes the opportunity to work with the Congress to, at a minimum, update the statutory definition of final hemp-derived cannabinoid products<\/a>\u00a0to allow Americans to benefit from access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products,\u201d OMB separately said last month, \u201cwhile preserving the Congress\u2019s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose serious health risks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The call to avert a broad prohibition on hemp CBD products was included in a statement of administration policy about an annual agriculture spending bill that passed the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n

Several lawmakers had\u00a0filed amendments to that legislation to keep hemp products legal<\/a>, but each was either blocked by the House Rules Committee from advancing to a floor vote or withdrawn by its sponsor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Administration supports advancement of this legislation, but looks forward to addressing its concerns prior to enactment,\u201d OMB said in its statement of administration policy. \u201cThe Administration looks forward to working with the Congress to provide more input as the bill\u2019s legislative process unfolds.\u201d<\/p>\n

In April, the\u00a0president himself urged congressional lawmakers to again redefine hemp<\/a>\u00a0to avoid recriminalization of full-spectrum CBD products.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am calling on Congress to update the Law to ensure that Americans can continue to access the full-spectrum CBD products they have come to rely on, and that help them, while preserving Congress\u2019s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose Health risks,\u201d Trump said in a Truth Social post on the same day his administration announced it is moving forward with rescheduling marijuana.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them,\u201d he said. \u201cPlus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Industry advocates say that the law as enacted last year not only threatens to prohibit intoxicating and synthetic cannabinoid products but also stands to remove popular full-spectrum CBD products that many Americans use therapeutically from the market.<\/p>\n

\u201cONE in FIVE adults used it in the past year, and many say it improved their chronic pain enormously,\u201d the president said in his social media post, adding that hemp-derived CBD \u201chas made a HUGE difference for so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also referenced a new initiative the administration launched in April to\u00a0cover up to $500 worth of hemp-derived products each year for eligible Medicare patients<\/a>. The program being implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) focuses largely on CBD but also allows products to have up to 3 milligrams of total THC per serving.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn December, I signed a very important Executive Order calling for Research and Innovation for Hemp-derived CBD,\u201d Trump said. \u201cOur wonderful Dr. Mehmet Oz moved fast to follow the directive in the Executive Order, and launched a model for some Seniors earlier this month. But more must be done!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease get it done, and SOON,\u201d the president said in reference to a congressional fix for the broad recriminalization set to take effect in November. \u201cThank you for your attention to this matter!\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not clear how far Trump wants to scale back the scope of the scheduled federal restrictions on hemp products and what kinds of revised THC rules and limitations he would prefer to sign into law.<\/p>\n

As Marijuana Moment reported last month, a\u00a0Republican congresswoman is circulating draft legislation that would keep hemp THC beverages legal<\/a>\u00a0under federal law, creating a carve-out from the broad recriminalization of products derived from the crop that is set to take effect later this year.<\/p>\n

The Hemp-Derived Beverage Regulatory Clarity Act from Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), in its current form, would allow adults over 21 to purchase and consume hemp THC drinks with up to 5 milligrams of delta-9 THC per serving. It would also impose a\u00a0federal tax of 10 cents per milligram of any hemp-derived cannabinoid contained within such beverages.<\/p>\n

The National Restaurant Association, which represents the industry, recently sent a letter urging congressional leaders to\u00a0delay the federal recriminalization of hemp THC beverages<\/a>\u00a0that is scheduled to take effect later this year and replace it with a regulatory framework that \u201censures consumer safety while meeting growing market demand\u201d for the products as an alternative to alcohol.<\/p>\n

A U.S. Department of Agriculture report published in April shows that\u00a0farmers in the U.S. grew three-quarters of a billion dollars worth of hemp crops in 2025<\/a>\u2014a 64 percent increase from the prior year.<\/p>\n

The post GOP Senator Says Keeping Hemp THC Products Legal Is An Issue That Can Unite Lawmakers At A \u2018Hyperpartisan\u2019 Time<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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\nRead More: GOP Senator Says Keeping Hemp THC Products Legal Is An Issue That Can Unite Lawmakers At A \u2018Hyperpartisan\u2019 Time<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Republican senator is previewing forthcoming bipartisan legislation to reverse the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC products this year and replace it with a new regulatory system that includes age limits and taxes. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) said the issue is \u201cimportant to me personally\u201d as a wounded veteranContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":459,"featured_media":86326,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86325"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/459"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86325"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86327,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86325\/revisions\/86327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}