Rep. Angie Craig Introduces Comprehensive Regulatory Framework for Hemp

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative and Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee Angie Craig (D-MN-02) introduced legislation alongside Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY-06) to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for hemp and hemp-derived THC products, ensuring hemp remains safe and available for Minnesota’s farmers, processors, brewers, retailers and consumers.

Rep. Craig’s Lawful Hemp Protection Act comes after House Republicans effectively repealed a 2018 law that allowed Minnesota and other states to legally produce hemp and sell hemp-derived products, such as hemp beverages and textiles. 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. 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. If Congress does not act by November 12, 2026, Minnesota’s legal hemp industry will effectively be shut down.

“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,” said Rep. Craig. “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. I am proud to have worked with Rep. Barr on a solution that protects our farmers and small businesses while also keeping our kids and communities safe.”

“Kentucky farmers helped build America’s hemp industry and they deserve certainty,” said Rep. Andy Barr. “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.”

“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. We’re grateful for Rep. Craig for her continuous support and for now forging a path that reflects what our state has already shown: prohibition doesn’t work, but thoughtful, practical regulation does.”

“The entire Minnesota hemp industry thanks both Reps. Angie Craig and Andy Barr for their leadership in bringing sensible regulation to this industry that is so important to so many,” said Kyle Markinovich, the founder and CEO of Northern Diversified Solutions in Burnsville, MN. “The farmers, brands, distributors, retailers, patients, and consumers are so grateful this amazing success story will continue to grow and thrive. As Minnesotans, we are particularly grateful to Rep. Craig who continues to serve hemp farmers and businesses so well in the Congress.”

“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. “Their leadership on the Lawful Hemp Protection Act reflects a clear-eyed recognition that prohibition is the wrong path, and that American farmers, small businesses, manufacturers, retailers and consumers deserve a workable federal framework built on responsible regulation. We are grateful for their willingness to engage stakeholders across the industry throughout the drafting process, and we look forward to continuing to work with them and their colleagues in Congress to advance a long-term federal solution.”

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