President Trump is calling on Congress to reverse a ban on intoxicating hemp-derived products that lawmakers enacted last year to preserve access to CBD.
The ban is not set to take effect until November, a year after it cleared Congress in a government funding package.
The provision bans products that contain more than 0.4 milligrams of THC, a psychoactive cannabis compound, per container.
CBD is a nonpsychoactive cannabis compound but can contain trace amounts of THC — referred to as full-spectrum CBD.
The new law would ban many full-spectrum CBD products, including topical products like oils and lotions, as well as edibles like gummies, that are commonly used for pain relief.
Mr. Trump signed the law but a month later issued an executive order calling for research and innovation on hemp-derived CBD.
Now, the president is calling on Congress to change the law to preserve Americans’ access to “full-spectrum CBD products.”
Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social post that 1 in 5 adults used CBD products in the past year, “and many say it improved their chronic pain enormously.”
He said Congress can update the law to allow CBD products with trace amounts of THC, while maintaining a ban on other hemp-derived products that pose health risks.
“We must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them,” Mr. Trump said. “Plus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for. Please get it done, and SOON.”
Hemp Industry & Farmers of America Executive Director Brian Swensen applauded the president’s post, saying that combined with his December executive order “sent an unmistakable message: hemp is a legitimate American industry worth protecting.”
Swensen added, “HIFA will continue working with his team and Congress to make sure that message translates into lasting bipartisan policy to protect upwards of 475,000 jobs.”
Sen. Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, successfully pushed to legalize hemp in 2018, removing it from the controlled substance list and reclassifying it as an agricultural commodity.
Mr. McConnell’s state is a leading producer of hemp, and his goal was to increase its use in industrial products. But the 2018 law’s definition of hemp as a cannabis with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC created a loophole that gave rise to intoxicating and synthetic hemp-derived products that remained under that threshold.
The update to the law that Mr. McConnell championed maintained the 0.3% THC limit for hemp plants in the field but tightened it for hemp-derived products to limit THC content to no more than 0.4 milligrams per package or container.
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. McConnell’s office for comment on Mr. Trump’s push to change the law to preserve access to full-spectrum CBD products.
Fellow Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul opposed the intoxicating hemp ban last year, warning it would effectively kill the hemp industry.
On Monday, Mr. Paul introduced legislation to empower states and tribal governments to override the federal ban if they regulate hemp-derived products with a minimum age for purchase and prohibitions on synthetic cannabinoids.
“Half the states have already set up their own smart rules, THC limits, age restrictions, and safety standards that let hemp farmers grow, manufacturers innovate, and consumers stay safe,” Mr. Paul said. “Washington shouldn’t wipe out those efforts or destroy jobs and access to products that help our veterans, our elderly, and families across the country.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic cosponsor of the legislation, said her home state of Minnesota is a national leader in hemp products and states should be able to self-regulate consumer safety.
“I’ve heard loud and clear from brewers, farmers, and small businesses in Minnesota — a federal ban on hemp products will be devastating,” she said.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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