Industry leaders say the changes could eliminate up to 95% of hemp products<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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TUESDAY, Nov. 18, 2025 (HealthDay News) \u2014 A major change to hemp rules is now the law and producers warn it could shut down much of the $28 billion industry.<\/p>\n
Congress, last week, approved strict new limits on hemp-derived products as part of the bill President Donald Trump<\/a> signed to end the long government shutdown.<\/p>\n The goal? To close a loophole that allowed companies to sell unregulated food and drinks containing psychoactive compounds made from hemp.<\/p>\n The new rules tighten how much THC \u2014 the chemical in cannabis that causes a high \u2014 a hemp product can contain.<\/p>\n Hemp was legalized in the 2018 farm bill and must have no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight.<\/p>\n But lawmakers say companies are using legal hemp to extract its THC and make stronger products, including drinks, gummies and vapes that act like marijuana.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, companies \u2026 [take] legal amounts of THC from hemp and [turn] it into intoxicating substances,\u201d Senator Mitch McConnell<\/a> of Kentucky said on the Senate floor.<\/p>\n He said some of these products are sold in \u201ccandy-like packaging\u201d and in gas stations, where children can easily access them.<\/p>\n The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also warned about delta-8 THC (the psychoactive ingredient in hemp) products being marketed for medical use despite lacking approval.<\/p>\n According to The Washington Post<\/em>, the new restrictions:<\/p>\n Keep the 0.3% THC limit for all hemp-derived cannabinoid products<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ban cannabinoids that do not naturally occur in hemp or are chemically altered<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Outlaw any hemp product with more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC or similar intoxicating compounds<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n But some hemp farmers and CBD producers say the restrictions will harm businesses that make nonintoxicating products.<\/p>\n “Every hemp seed in the country will have to be destroyed,” Senator Rand Paul<\/a> of Kentucky, who opposed the plan, said.<\/p>\n “This is the most thoughtless, ignorant proposal to an industry that I\u2019ve seen in a long, long time,” he added.<\/p>\n The U.S. Hemp Roundtable<\/a>, an industry group, said the changes threaten “to eliminate America\u2019s $28.4 billion hemp industry and jeopardizes more than 300,000 American jobs.”<\/p>\n They estimate that 95% of products could disappear and that states could lose $1.5 billion in tax revenue.<\/p>\n CBD producers argued that many popular CBD products, which contain small, non-intoxicating amounts of THC, would no longer meet the new limits. CBD is widely used for pain, anxiety and sleep.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously said<\/a> it has low potential for abuse.<\/p>\n Some in the marijuana industry support the changes, noting the new law draws a clear line between intoxicating and non-intoxicating products.<\/p>\n Farmers like Paul Murdoch<\/a> of Oregon say the law will shut down operations that rely on legal CBD.<\/p>\n “CBD has been a lifesaver for me and for many others,” he said. “After a serious injury, I found CBD as a pain mitigant to replace opioids. Many others rely on it for a variety of issues, none involving any intoxication. And that may go away.”<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The National Institutes of Health has more on tetrahydrocannabinol<\/a> (THC).<\/p>\n\n