{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=B6BF6C33-92F6-4587-8F5C-F59D674DF378", "Klobuchar and Local Duluth Business Owners Advocate to Change Federal Hemp Ban", "2025-12-30", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MN", "Amy Klobuchar", "K000367", "www.klobuchar.senate.gov", "klobuchar", "https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "scraper", "DULUTH, MN \u2014 U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar was joined by Ryan Kopperud, Vice President of Growth for Birdie at Wild State Cider, and Adam Ruhland, CEO of Wild State Cider, to advocate to change the recently enacted federal ban on hemp. Klobuchar is working across the aisle to change it.\n\n\u201cA one-size fits all approach to hemp regulation doesn't work for states like Minnesota that already have strong safety standards in place,\u201d said Klobuchar. \u201cWe can protect our kids and support our small businesses \u2014 Minnesota\u2019s model proves that\u2019s possible. Under current state rules, small businesses like Wild State Cider are licensed, meet labeling and packaging standards, and ensure their products are available only to adults. I want our state\u2019s small businesses and farmers to know: I\u2019ve got your back.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s at stake here is not just one business. Not just one taproom. It\u2019s manufacturers, distributors, retailers, farmers, labs\u2014the entire system behind these hemp products people already trust. Responsible, compliant, transparent businesses, and the jobs, revenue, and tax base that come with them. This is what happens when policy meets reality. And that reality\u2014for us and for thousands of Minnesota businesses\u2014is frankly terrifying,\u201d said Ryan Kopperud, Vice President of Growth for Birdie at Wild State Cider.\n\nWild State Cider is a well-known cidery based in Duluth that was founded in 2019. The cidery specializes in producing ciders made with natural ingredients. In 2023, Wild State Cider launched a successful line of THC-infused products called \u201cBirdie.\u201d However, a recent bill signed into law includes provisions that could severely impact Minnesota\u2019s hemp industry by banning many products currently manufactured in the state. Senator Klobuchar voted against the bill and voted for an amendment by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to remove the provision impacting Minnesota\u2019s hemp businesses.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=B6BF6C33-92F6-4587-8F5C-F59D674DF378"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7386039942502975, "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"}