White House Pushes Congress to Prevent Broad Hemp Recriminalization Set for November

The White House has formally requested that Congress intervene to stop the scheduled federal recriminalization of various hemp products effective this November. The administration is seeking to revise statutory definitions to protect consumer access to full-spectrum CBD while maintaining restrictions on high-risk products. This effort is vital for the hemp sector as it addresses a looming regulatory deadline that threatens to remove popular therapeutic products from the market and disrupt the livelihoods of American farmers.

White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought issued a request to House Speaker Mike Johnson to revise federal hemp regulations or extend the current implementation moratorium. The administration specifically supports a framework similar to an amendment offered by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), which would preserve the legality of many hemp products while introducing new labeling requirements and sales taxes. This intervention aims to bypass a November 12 deadline that would otherwise implement a restrictive 0.4-milligram total THC limit per container, a move industry experts say would effectively ban most full-spectrum CBD products.

The administration’s push is grounded in the need to protect the interests of both consumers and farmers who have come to rely on the hemp market established by the 2018 Farm Bill. According to the White House, one in five adults used hemp-derived products in the past year, often for chronic pain management. To support this, the administration highlighted a recent initiative by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Director Mehmet Oz, to cover up to $500 annually for hemp-derived products for eligible seniors, a program that allows products to have up to 3 milligrams of total THC per serving.

Despite the administration's support, the legislative fix faces opposition from a diverse coalition including sectors of the alcohol industry, marijuana businesses, and cannabis legalization opponents. Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, expressed excitement over the White House's strong public stance, noting that it is an essential step toward replacing a potential hemp ban with a robust regulatory framework. The proposed updates would refine the definition of hemp-derived cannabinoid products to ensure Americans can continue to access full-spectrum CBD while addressing public health concerns regarding synthetic or intoxicating derivatives.