A new bipartisan bill to revise the federal definition of hemp has been introduced as an alternative to a looming federal hemp ban.
Reps. Andy Barr (R-Michigan) and Angie Craig (D-Minnesota) introduced the Lawful Hemp Protection Act on Wednesday.
The bill would revise the federal definition of hemp to move away from the 0.4 milligram total THC per container standard currently scheduled to take effect in November, U.S. Hemp Roundtable, a hemp industry advocacy organization, said in a statement.
The bill includes several other provisions, including the creation of separate regulatory categories for industrial hemp and consumable hemp products, according to a statement from Barr’s office. It also includes provisions addressing synthetic cannabinoids, FDA oversight, labeling requirements, age verification, impaired driving enforcement, hemp-derived beverages and interstate commerce protections.
“Reps. Andy Barr and Angie Craig deserve tremendous credit for stepping forward with a serious, science-based and bipartisan solution at exactly the moment the hemp industry needs it most," said Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.
Melissa Vonder Haar, managing director of TradeWorks for iSee Store Innovations and chair of CSP’s C-Store Cannabis Board, said this is an important tool convenience-store operators can use when talking with elected officials.
“Our industry knows better than most that you can't regulate away demand—just look at the current mess with flavored vapor,” Vonder Haar told CSP. “But regulators don’t just want to hear about the problem; they want a solution. The Lawful Hemp Protection Act gives retailers a comprehensive regulatory framework to point to when talking with their elected representatives and industry associations.”
This legislation represents one of the most significant federal hemp policy developments since passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, the U.S. Hemp Roundtable said. It also said the bill comes at a critical moment for the industry, as the federal hemp ban language enacted in the fiscal year 2026 agriculture appropriations law remains scheduled to take effect.
“The bill would repeal that provision,” the U.S. Hemp Roundtable said.
Marijuana-derived THC is a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, while hemp-derived THC is not a controlled substance under the 2018 Farm Bill, according to Chris Fontes, founder and CEO of High Spirits and president of the U.S. Hemp Authority. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the sale of products containing less than 0.3% THC by weight nationwide.
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