The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the 2026 Farm Bill last week, keeping in place the federal ban on intoxicating hemp products that is set to take effect later this year. The vote followed months of pressure from hemp businesses, state regulators, and advocacy groups urging lawmakers to revisit the prohibition. Instead, the House advanced a bill that preserves the ban while making a series of narrower adjustments to federal hemp policy.
The decision exposes the divide in Congress over how to handle the fast‑moving market for hemp‑derived cannabinoids. Some lawmakers warn that the ban will disrupt state‑regulated markets and eliminate thousands of jobs, while others argue that the rapid growth of intoxicating hemp products has created safety concerns and regulatory gaps that Congress can no longer ignore.
Hemp Provisions Included in the 2026 Farm Bill
Although the House declined to address the ban itself, the bill includes several hemp‑related measures that will shape federal oversight in the years ahead, according to a report from Marijuana Moment. The legislation directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a comprehensive study of the hemp industry’s economic impact. Supporters say the study will help lawmakers better understand how federal policy is affecting farmers, processors, and retailers.
The bill also requires federal agencies to coordinate more closely on hemp oversight, an effort to reduce the fragmented regulatory landscape that has challenged the industry since 2018. In addition, the House version adjusts federal sampling and testing rules to ease compliance burdens for growers who have long argued that current requirements are costly and inconsistent.
Another provision mandates a federal report examining the barriers that hemp producers face in accessing federal programs. Many farmers have struggled to secure crop insurance, financing, and other forms of support that are widely available to traditional agriculture. Advocates hope the report will help identify gaps and guide future policy changes.
None of these measures affects the November deadline for the federal ban on intoxicating hemp products. That prohibition, enacted last year through an appropriations measure, redefines hemp to include total THC, effectively outlawing products containing delta‑8 THC, THCA, and other intoxicating cannabinoids that have become widespread nationwide.
Lawmakers Seek Alternatives to the Ban
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer of Kentucky introduced a bipartisan amendment to the 2026 Farm Bill in the Rules Committee that would delay the product ban by one year.
“The hemp industry is facing significant challenges and growing uncertainty, and it is long past time for Congress to provide farmers and business owners with the clarity they need to succeed,” he said, Cannabis Business Times reported. “This uncertainty is already having a negative effect, and it is impacting real people, real jobs, and real communities across the country, particularly in rural America. … Hemp supports 320,000 American jobs, generates $28.4 billion in market activity, and contributes one and a half billion dollars in state tax revenue.”
Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky also pushed an amendment tied to his Legal Hemp Protection Act, a proposal that would have created a federal tax and regulatory structure for intoxicating hemp products. His plan called for redefining hemp with a 1% delta‑9 THC limit measured on the finished consumer product rather than raw plant material or work‑in‑progress extracts. It also would have excluded cannabinoids that are not naturally occurring in the plant.
“I’m working in Congress to deliver these critical reforms so farmers have certainty and Americans can continue to access safe, reliable hemp-derived products,” Barr said on X last week.
Both lawmakers have historically supported hemp agriculture in their home state, but they have taken a harder line on the consumer cannabinoid market that emerged after the 2018 Farm Bill.
Trump Repeats Call to Update the Law
The House vote came only a week after President Donald Trump again urged Congress to act on the issue.
“I 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’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose Health risks,” the president said in a Truth Social post on April 23, the same day his administration announced it is rescheduling medical cannabis.
“We must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them,” he said. “Plus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for.”
His comments have energized hemp businesses hoping for a legislative fix, though the House vote suggests that any changes will need to come from the Senate, which is expected to release its own Farm Bill language later this year. With the November deadline approaching, hemp businesses are watching closely to see whether the Senate takes a different approach or whether the ban moves forward as scheduled.
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The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.
