THE FENCE POST: Craig, Barr introduce hemp regulatory framework

Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., ranking member on the House Agriculture Committee and a candidate for the Minnesota Democratic nomination for the Senate, and Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., today introduced a bill to provide a comprehensive regulatory framework for hemp and hemp-derived THC products.

In a news release, Craig said her Lawful Hemp Protection Act “comes after House Republicans effectively repealed a 2018 law that allowed Minnesota and other states to legally produce hemp and sell hemp-derived products, such as hemp beverages and textiles.”

That was a reference to a provision in an agriculture appropriations bill that restricted the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, in any finished hemp product at 0.4 milligrams per container. If Congress does not act by Nov. 12, the stricter definition will go into effect and a large portion of the industry that has developed since the 2018 farm bill legalized hemp will be shut down.

“Since 2018, the hemp industry has grown into a roughly $300 million a year industry and provided a new income stream for local farmers, brewers and small businesses,” Craig noted in a news release. “As of 2023, the Minnesota hemp industry supported over 3,400 jobs. The state is home to 132 licensed grow operations, 96 processors and over 2,000 retailers.

“Minnesota became the model for responsible hemp regulation when it established a regulatory framework that complied with federal law and enabled local farmers and businesses to thrive,” Craig added. “My commonsense legislation will give regulatory clarity to Minnesota farmers, brewers and small-business owners and provide an alternative to short-sighted federal policies that threaten Minnesota jobs and consumer choice.”

“Kentucky farmers helped build America’s hemp industry, and they deserve certainty,” Barr said in the release. “The Lawful Hemp Protection Act protects Kentucky agriculture, safeguards consumers, and establishes a commonsense regulatory framework that allows this important industry to continue to grow while ensuring products are safe and kept out of the hands of children. Kentucky has demonstrated that hemp can be successfully regulated while supporting farmers and protecting consumers. This legislation builds on that success by creating a national framework that rewards responsible producers, eliminates bad actors and ensures consumers have confidence in the products they purchase.”

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable endorsed the bill.

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable said in an explanation of the bill that, “rather than prohibiting hemp products outright, the Lawful Hemp Protection Act takes a regulatory approach by establishing a federal framework for labeling, packaging, age restrictions, product standards, cannabinoid oversight, and domestic sourcing requirements, while preserving lawful hemp commerce and recognizing the importance of consumer access to compliant products.”

The roundtable added, “Importantly, the bill would revise the federal definition of hemp to move away from the unworkable 0.4 mg total THC per container standard currently scheduled to take effect in November. Instead, the legislation directs FDA to establish serving limits through rulemaking and scientific review. If FDA does not act within one year, the bill establishes serving limits of 5 mg THC for ingestible products, 50 mg THC for inhalable products, and 50 mg THC for topical products. The legislation also includes provisions addressing synthetic cannabinoids, FDA oversight, labeling requirements, age verification, impaired driving enforcement, hemp-derived beverages, and interstate commerce protections.”

“We are dangerously close to one of Minnesota’s most promising small-business industries being shut down,” said Bob Galligan, director of government and industry relations for the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “Minnesotans proved that responsible regulation can lift businesses, strengthen economies and protect consumers. We now need Congress to do its job.”

Barr’s office told The Hill that the legislation in the House has the White House’s approval, but a White House official pointed The Hill to a December 2025 executive order, where President Trump ordered the expediting of marijuana rescheduling and launching Medicare coverage of CBD, as the administration’s “definitive” position.