A $28 billion hemp THC industry is fighting to save itself from a looming federal ban

Congress has voted to end the sale of intoxicating hemp products, a market that grew out of a gap in the 2018 farm bill, and the industry is now lobbying to be regulated instead. That law, pushed by Sen. Mitch McConnell to give farmers a new crop, defined hemp by its delta-9 THC content by weight. Edibles, drinks and vapes could meet that test while still getting people high, and they spread to gas stations and convenience stores, sometimes within reach of teens. Many states responded with their own rules or bans. McConnell later put a nationwide prohibition into the legislation that ended the record-long government shutdown, capping THC at 0. 4 milligrams per container, according to PBS NewsHour.

President Donald Trump signed a stopgap spending bill that moved the effective date to Dec. 11, buying lawmakers time to consider regulation. Industry backers propose a minimum purchase age of 21, per-package THC limits and a prohibition on imported cannabis compounds. Whitney Economics estimates $28. 3 billion in lost retail revenue. Businesses are already feeling it: Cornbread Hemp's owners say the cap would destroy a company with 105 employees, while Drinkin' Buds has halted production.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →