INDUSTRY UPDATES

June 27, 2025

Hemp updates in Congress, Alabama, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas

Take Action Now: Use our State Action Center to contact lawmakers and protect the future of hemp in your state.

A big thank you to all hemp supporters for taking action to ensure that harmful bills, which would have been detrimental to the hemp industry in their respective states, do not become law! Let’s keep up the fight and momentum moving foward!

House Committee Advances Ag Funding Bill with Harmful Hemp Language

Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed its FY26 agriculture funding bill, which unfortunately includes troubling language targeting hemp-derived products.

As adopted, the report seeks to redefine hemp in a way that could prohibit most ingestible products containing any quantifiable amount of THC- including popular CBD items.  See our report on this language here.  While report language was added to clarify that non-intoxicating products would not be banned, report language does not have the force of law, and FDA has refused to comply with report language on hemp for several years.

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable strongly opposes this language and will continue working with Congressional allies to ensure it does not move forward in the legislative process. At this time, we do not expect the provision to advance to the President’s desk, but we remain vigilant.

Federal Action Center

Alabama

As we previously reported, Alabama Governor Ivey signed HB 445 into law in May of 2025. Under this law, online and direct-to-consumer sales of hemp products are banned. Additionally, consumable hemp products in Alabama are limited to no more than 10mg total THC per serving in individually-wrapped servings and packages are limited to 40mg total THC per package. Next week (July 1), Alabama’s ban on direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales of full spectrum hemp products will go into effect. That means you’ll no longer be able to purchase federally legal hemp products online.

Arkansas

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has reversed the injunction blocking Arkansas’ law restricting certain hemp products, allowing the law to take effect.

The court found that the 2018 Farm Bill does not preempt more stringent state laws and affirmed that states retain broad authority to regulate hemp within their borders. While not a final ruling on the case’s merits, the injunction’s reversal is significant.  The ruling reinforces what we’ve long said: our strongest path forward is through proactive state-level advocacy. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable remains committed to working with lawmakers to ensure fair, science-based regulations that protect consumer access and support small businesses.

Ohio

Hemp Supporters scored a big victory this week in Ohio as efforts to pass legislation that would destroy the industry were stalled. SB 56, a bill that would move almost all hemp product sales to Ohio’s limited marijuana dispensaries, was marked for a vote in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday with plans to pass it before the legislature began its summer recess.  With your strong support, and the combined advocacy of the USHR and our retail and small business allies, we were able to stop that vote from taking place!  Further, the state’s operating budget was pending in a budget conference committee last night, and we were alerted to the possibility that the budget could be used as a vehicle to pass a hemp ban. We are happy to report that opposition remained strong, and no hemp product language was included in the final budget bill.
 
Thank you for all of your emails, calls, meetings, and testimony to keep retail access to hemp products alive in Ohio this year. Our fight isn’t over yet though. Legislative leaders indicate that they want to regroup and try to work on resolving differences in order to pass some type of marijuana and hemp-related bill in the fall. We must remain vigilant over the summer months in our efforts to educate lawmakers about the benefits of hemp products and the necessity of broad retail access, and we must be prepared for a renewed call to action in the fall.

Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the Senate Law & Justice Committee held a hearing on intoxicating hemp products like Delta-8 and THCA. While some witnesses pushed for restrictions or bans, Chair Dan Laughlin made clear he supports regulation, not prohibition.

The hearing featured several inaccurate claims about legality, safety, and manufacturing practices, highlighting the need for better education and clearer policy. State leaders and industry advocates are now taking steps to ensure any future framework protects consumers while preserving access for responsible hemp businesses.

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable will stay engaged and continue advocating for balanced, science-based regulation in in the state. Stay tuned to this space for future updates.

Texas

This week, in a historic win for the hemp industry, Texas Governor Greg Abbott vetoed SB 3, legislation that would have devastated hemp farmers and small businesses across the state.

In his veto message, Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of regulating hemp in a way that protects public safety, aligns with federal law, and is enforceable without delay. We couldn’t agree more.

Full Statement from Jonathan Miller, General Counsel, U.S. Hemp Roundtable:

Last night’s gubernatorial veto of hemp-killing SB 3 in Texas should prove to be a seminal moment for hemp farmers and businesses across the country. Members of Congress, Governors and state legislators must take notice that hemp bans are not only bad policy, but they are also deeply unpopular, even among the most conservative voters in a red state like Texas.
 
With a special session that will tackle this issue on July 21, the correct response is robust regulation, not misguided prohibition. Governor Greg Abbott, who took this wise and historic action, said it best in his veto statement: “Texas must enact a regulatory framework that protects public safety, aligns with federal law, has a fully funded enforcement structure, and can take effect without delay.”
 
The U.S. hemp industry is deeply grateful to Governor Abbott, but even more grateful to the Texas hemp organizations that led this fight, and especially to the hundreds of thousands of Texas Hemp Supporters who made their voices heard over the past several weeks.  We will remain united in our advocacy to ensure that the Texas legislature heeds the Governor’s directive to pass legislation during the special session that is “strict, fair and legally sustainable.”

This victory was only possible because of the tireless efforts of Texas advocates and the overwhelming response from Hemp Supporters like you, but our work isn’t done.

Texas lawmakers are expected to revisit hemp regulation in a special session beginning July 21. We will continue to fight for fair, science-based, and enforceable rules, not harmful bans.

Stay tuned for updates and future action alerts. And if you have a moment, go ahead and reach out to lawmakers ini Texas telling them that you don’t support prohibition in the upcoming special session. And, as always, thank you for your advocacy!

Texas Action Center

Visit our State Action Center to see active campaigns across the country!

State Action Center

Check out the latest hemp and CBD updates from across the states!