Hemp farmers and producers have argued the new THC limitations placed into 2025's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" would spell disaster for their industry — and Kentucky lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, apart from Sen. Mitch McConnell, have largely agreed.
We cannot allow this to go into effect.Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar worked with Sen. Rand Paul on legislation to shift hemp regulation to the states and applauded the month-long extension in the new stopgap government funding bill.
"The delay will give Congress more time to get a long term fix and I'm working on that too, or to get another delay. Whatever it is, we cannot allow this to go into effect," she said.
The delay provision survived a challenge by North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd, who argued action is necessary to rid stores of intoxicating hemp-based products marketed to children in packaging mimicking candy and other junk food.
"The resemblance here is absolutely outrageous," he said, displaying examples of the packages during a presentation on the Senate floor. "And it's putting our kids at risk each and every day."
Budd's effort to strip the delay out failed. Now, it's up to lawmakers who oppose the strict federal rules to craft a compromise that skeptics can swallow.