{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9BC0F429-AEAA-4DF4-B5DA-38FFC1E72CA4", "McConnell Hemp Provision Targets Intoxicating THC Products; Protects Industrial Hemp and CBD", "2025-11-10", "2025", "2025-11", "Republican", "Senate", "KY", "Mitch McConnell", "M000355", "www.mcconnell.senate.gov", "mcconnell", "https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) secured language in the FY 2026 Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill to close a loophole that has allowed the sale of unregulated intoxicating THC products to be manufactured and sold nationwide, while preserving non-intoxicating CBD and industrial hemp products. The measure locks in the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill, which sought to create an agricultural hemp industry, not open the door to the sale of unregulated, intoxicating, hemp-derived substances with no safety framework.\n\nSenator McConnell, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture and Appropriations Committees, played a key role in crafting the legislation. \u201cThe language I helped secure in the Agriculture Appropriations bill addresses a serious concern regarding the manufacturing and selling of unregulated, intoxicating THC products nationwide,\u201d said Senator McConnell.\n\nOnce the FY 2026 Agriculture Appropriations bill passes in the Senate and the House, it will go to President Trump for his signature.\n\nThe hemp provision would accomplish the following:\n\nIndustrial hemp: Defines \u201cindustrial hemp\u201d to clarify that hemp that is used for industrial applications \u2014 such as seed, stock, fiber, grain oil \u2014 or hemp used in federally authorized research, drug trials, or research at an institution of higher education, including at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.\n\nSynthetic \u201chemp\u201d products: Prohibits synthetic cannabinoids.\n\nTHC Limits in final hemp products: Excludes intoxicating THC products that contain more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per package/container from the definition of hemp.\n\nPreserves Farm Bill definition in hemp plants: Leaves in place the 0.3% limit on total THC for hemp plants growing in the field.\n\nProtects CBD: Does NOT place any limits on the amount of non-intoxicating CBD products that can be in a product or container. Industrial hemp and CBD products that contain traceable or low amounts of THC would continue to be legal.\n\nImplementation and Guidance: To help give our hemp farmers ample time to prepare for their future, the legislation also contains a one-year implementation delay and requires FDA to establish industry guidance within 90 days.\n\n\u201cThe language included in today\u2019s bill preserves the legitimate hemp industry while addressing the rise of intoxicating and synthetic THC products. Industrial hemp and CBD will remain legal for industrial applications \u2014 such as seed, stock, fiber, grain oil \u2014 or used in drug trials, federally authorized research, or research at an institution of higher education, such as the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture\u2019s Industrial Hemp Research Program,\u201d said Senator McConnell. \u201cI am proud to have championed this language that keeps these products out of the hands of children, secures the future of regulated hemp businesses, and keeps our promise to American farmers and law enforcement by clarifying the intention in the 2018 Farm Bill\u201d\n\n\u201cThese psychoactive products are being sold openly in vape shops and convenience stores with little to no regulation, making them readily accessible to middle and high school students. Their intoxicating effects can impair judgment, hinder academic performance, and increase the likelihood of progression to more dangerous substances. The KNOA is far more concerned for the welfare of our youth than for the profits of an industry that converts hemp into such harmful products,\u201d said Tommy Loving, Executive Director of the Kentucky Narcotic Officers\u2019 Association. \u201cThe Kentucky Narcotic Officers\u2019 Association commends Senator Mitch McConnell for his continued leadership in working to close this loophole. Senator McConnell has long been an advocate for protecting children and supporting law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe.\u201d\n\n\"Our community works together to keep all of our children safe from many threats. Unfortunately, the proliferation of vaping products that contain delta-8, delta-9, and delta-10, are readily available at retail outlets in all areas of our community. These vapes are being purchased and used by students as young as 10 years old. Students, who many times are trying vaping for the first time, are being exposed to intoxicating hemp products and the results are dangerous. We have created a system that does not provide safeguards to protect our K-12 students from these dangerous products. I commend Senator McConnell for working to close these loopholes in order to protect every child in Kentucky,\u201d said Gary Fields, Bowling Green Independent School District Superintendent.\n\n\"Senator McConnell\u2019s steadfast leadership since 2013 has been instrumental in establishing industrial hemp as a critical new commodity, paving the way for growth in American agriculture and manufacturing. The National Hemp Association looks forward to working with him and his colleagues to secure a promising future for our nation\u2019s hemp farmers and the many benefits hemp provides,\u201d said Geoff Whaling, Chair of the National Hemp Association.\n\nAdditional Support for the Legislation\n\n39 Attorneys General wrote to Congress regarding the legislation on intoxicating hemp-derived THC products.\n\nIn the letter, they write, \u201cWe ask that Congress clarify the federal definition of hemp during the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process or through the reauthorization of the Farm Bill to leave no doubt that these harmful products are illegal and that their sale and manufacture are criminal acts\u2026 Many of these products\u2014created by manufacturers by manipulating hemp to produce synthetic THC\u2014are more intoxicating and psychoactive than marijuana a Schedule I controlled substance and are often marketed to minors. Unless Congress acts, this gross distortion of the 2018 Farm Bill\u2019s hemp provision will continue to fuel the rapid growth of an underregulated industry that threatens public health and safety and undermines law enforcement nationwide.\u201d\n\nHealth and safety groups from across the country wrote to Congress regarding the impact this issue is having \u2013 especially on children --- and the need to address it.\n\nIn the letter, they write, \u201cThe 2018 Farm Bill\u2019s definition of hemp has been interpreted by the hemp industry as \u201clegalizing\u201d hemp-derived THC and all other psychoactive substances derived from hemp\u2026that have similar effects as delta-9 THC The current definition of hemp has created serious challenges for regulators and public-health officials, while fueling widespread, largely unmonitored sales of highly intoxicating products. These substances are now sold nationwide \u2013 in gas stations, convenience stores, head shops and online \u2013 in ways that are purposely made both accessible and attractive to youth.3-7 These substances are often sold in the form of gummies, chocolates, chips, candies, and cookies\u2026 There have been thousands of calls to U.S. poison control centers from use of these products, more than 30% for children 5 years and younger.\u201d\n\nOp-ed by Dr. Matt Rossheim, a professor, substance use prevention researcher, and parent in Fort Worth, Texas, where he writes that \u201cCongress must close this loophole, restore hemp to its intended purpose as stated by the sponsors of the original bill, and protect kids before more families are harmed.\u201d\n\nIn the op-ed, Dr. Rossheim writes: \u201cSince 2021, poison control centers have handled more than 10,000 delta-8 THC cases. In Kentucky, pediatric cannabis poisonings have increased sixfold since 2018, and youth presenting with Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome \u2013 severe pain with uncontrollable vomiting \u2013 have risen tenfold. No parent should have to wonder whether a pack of gummies at the corner store could send their child to the ER\u2026 Some claim that banning intoxicating THC products would destroy the entire hemp market. But hemp has countless legitimate uses: nutritious foods and animal feed, durable textiles, sustainable building materials, eco-friendly plastics, rope, clothing, biofuels, and cosmetics, to name a few. To suggest these markets can\u2019t survive without marijuana look-alikes is like saying corn farmers can\u2019t thrive without moonshine. It\u2019s simply not true.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "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.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=9BC0F429-AEAA-4DF4-B5DA-38FFC1E72CA4"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3537968043237925, "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"}