{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=268545FE-AC4B-4366-A514-E2F82B6A44C3", "Barr Introduces Lawful Hemp Protection Act to Protect Kentucky Farmers, Consumers, and the Future of the Hemp Industry", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "KY", "Andy Barr", "B001282", "barr.house.gov", "barr", "https://barr.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY-06) introduced the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to establish the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumer products while protecting Kentucky farmers, enhancing consumer and child safety, and preserving the long-term viability of the domestic hemp industry.\n\nThis legislation establishes a clear federal framework for the hemp industry by setting consistent standards for cultivation, manufacturing, testing, and labeling, while prohibiting synthetic cannabinoids in finished hemp-derived products. It also supports American farmers by only allowing hemp grown, cultivated, and packaged in the United States. To further strengthen consumer protection and child safety, Rep. Barr\u2019s legislation limits retail sales of hemp-derived consumer products to individuals 21 years of age and older and prohibits the marketing or advertisement of any hemp products towards children.\n\n\u201cKentucky farmers helped build America\u2019s hemp industry and they deserve certainty,\u201d said Congressman Barr. \u201cThe 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.\u201d\n\n\u201cMinnesota 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,\u201d said Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), the lead Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. \u201cMy 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.\u201d\n\n\"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.\"\n\n\u201cReps. Craig and Barr understand that this isn't a partisan issue \u2013 it's about protecting farmers who planted in good faith, small business owners who built legal companies, and consumers who deserve safe, tested, legal products instead of being pushed into an unregulated market,\u201d said HIFA Executive Director Brian Swensen. \"We appreciate all the hard work that brought us to this point. This bill is a strong step toward establishing a proper regulatory framework.\u201d\n\n\u201cRepresentative Barr\u2019s bill is a smart, bi-partisan, stakeholder-supported solution,\u201d said Christopher Lackner, founder and president, Hemp Beverage Alliance. \u201cOn behalf of the country\u2019s hemp beverage suppliers, distributors, retailers, and responsible adult consumers, we urge Congress to fast-track this legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs longtime supporters of a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for hemp products, the Midwest Hemp Council thanks Congressman Andy Barr for his leadership in bringing stakeholders together to develop a national market structure. The hemp industry is united in supporting an extension of the November 12 deadline that would otherwise recriminalize the $40 Billion domestic hemp market. An extension will give lawmakers the time needed to enact a regulatory framework that unleashes opportunities for American farmers, meets consumer demand, and protects public health and safety,\u201d said Justin Swanson, President, MHC.\n\n\u201cThe Kentucky Hemp Association thanks Congressman Andy Barr for his leadership in introducing a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for hemp products,\u201d said Dee Dee Taylor, President of the Kentucky Hemp Association. \u201cKentucky has already demonstrated that a strong, state regulated market can protect consumers while supporting responsible businesses, and hemp has become a critical replacement crop for many of the Commonwealth's tobacco farmers. To preserve these hard-earned gains, Congress must extend the November 12 deadline that would otherwise disrupt the legal hemp marketplace. An extension will give lawmakers the time needed to build a durable federal framework that protects public health, respects successful state regulatory programs like Kentucky's, and preserves economic opportunities for American agriculture.\u201d\n\nKentucky has long been a national leader in hemp production, with Kentucky farmers growing approximately 4,700 acres of industrial hemp in 2025. The broader hemp marketplace supports thousands of jobs nationwide and contributes $30 billion to the U.S. economy. Under current law, restrictive provisions scheduled to take effect in November of this year threaten the future of lawful hemp production and virtually makes illegal overnight cultivation of this crop and sale of these products.\n\nThe Lawful Hemp Protection Act provides a long-term solution by modernizing federal hemp policy and establishing clear rules for producers, processors, retailers, and consumers. It highlights these main provisions:\n\nCreates separate regulatory categories for industrial hemp and consumable hemp products;\n\nChanges the legal limitation of hemp to one percent total THC concentration on a dry-weight basis and requires testing at the finished-product level as well as throughout the manufacturing chain;\n\nProhibits synthetic cannabinoids and other non-naturally occurring compounds;\n\nRequires consumable hemp products to be cultivated, processed, finished, and packaged in the United States;\n\nRestricts the sale of all consumable hemp-derived cannabinoid products to individuals 21 years of age and older;\n\nEstablishes strict packaging, labeling, and marketing standards to prevent youth access and deceptive advertising;\n\nDirects the Food and Drug Administration to establish maximum cannabinoid content limits for hemp-derived consumable products with \u201cfallback\u201d limits in case the FDA does not act within 12 months after passage;\n\nInstructs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a three-tiered system for hemp-derived beverages \u2013 manufacturers, distributors, and retailers \u2013 with strict tied-house restrictions to maintain separation among tiers; and.\n\nInstructs the Treasury Department to collect a tax of 5 cents per milligram of THC in hemp-derived consumable beverages and 5% of the retail price on all other consumables that contain THC.\n\nThe Lawful Hemp Protection Act preserves states\u2019 ability to enact stricter regulations while ensuring lawful interstate commerce for compliant hemp products. This legislation is supported by American Healthy Alternatives Association, American Herbal Products Association, Americans for Prosperity, Coalition for Adult Beverage Alternatives (CABA), Hemp Beverage Alliance, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA), Kentucky Hemp Association (KYHA), Midwest Hemp Council, Team Hemp, Total Wine & More, U.S. Hemp Roundtable, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA).\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=268545FE-AC4B-4366-A514-E2F82B6A44C3"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0082749649882317, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}