INDUSTRY UPDATES

April 11, 2025

Hemp Bill Updates in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, and Texas

Victory in Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, and Missouri!

Efforts to restrict hemp products—including bans on beverages and e-commerce—failed to pass in all four states. Special thanks to Missouri lawmakers who stood up for hemp businesses and defeated SB 54 on the Senate floor!

Challenges remain in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, New York & Texas:

  • Alabama: Bills advancing to limit hemp beverage sales & criminalize cannabinoids.
  • Arkansas: A 50% THC tax & new beverage restrictions are on the move.
  • Florida: Negotiations are underway on competing bills that could reshape the state’s hemp market.
  • New York: New bill would eliminate most of the hemp marketplace by setting extreme CBD:THC ratio limits.
  • Texas: After a marathon 17-hour hearing, momentum has stalled on two restrictive THC bills—but Lt. Gov. Patrick could call a special session.

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, did not become law!

Alabama


In Alabama, both SB 274 and HB 445 received hearings this week, with HB 445 passing through the Alabama House of Representatives.  HB 445 would limit hemp beverages to 5mg THC per serving and restrict sales to liquor stores while SB 274 would criminalize the possession and sale of cannabinoids outside of medical use. Please use our State Action Center to urge lawmakers to oppose SB 274 and HB 445.

Contact Alabama Legislators

Arizona

We have good news to share in Arizona, where thanks to our friends at the Hemp Industries Association of Arizona (HITA), we believe all hemp ban bills are dead for the session. We expect more developments to come in the state in the coming days, stay tuned for more. 

Arkansas

Arkansas’ HB 605 targets hemp products and consumers by proposing a 50% excise tax on products containing THC, including various forms and isomers of THC derived from hemp.  This bill has passed the Arkansas House and is receiving committee hearings in the state Senate.  In addition, HB 1578 would prohibit direct-to-consumer sales of hemp beverages and limit THC levels in beverages to .3% Delta-9 THC.  This is a newly introduced bill.  

Please use our State Action Center to urge lawmakers to oppose these bills.

Contact Arkansas Legislators

Florida

The Florida legislative session is completing the 5th week of the  9-week session, and the House and Senate are advancing their respective Hemp bills, SB 438  and HB 7027.  SB 438 passed the Senate floor on Thursday and has been sent to the House in anticipation of negotiations over the significant differences in the versions of the bill language.  Both versions focus strongly on product testing, child attractiveness labeling, THC and packaging levels, age 21 verification, and restrictions to convenience store sales, but they vary on direct-to-consumer sales, retail sales, event promotions, and other issues.  HB 7027 is currently being revised with some of the recommendations from the Roundtable and other organizations and will be heard in committee next week before going to the House floor. The House and Senate will then begin negotiating a compromise bill. We believe a hemp bill will pass this session by May 2nd and will be more moderate than last year’s. 

Contact Florida Legislators

Georgia

In Georgia, SB 254 failed to progress through the legislature before session was adjourned sine die.  As we previously shared, SB 254 would have devastated Georgia’s hemp industry with its imposition of severe restrictions, including a complete ban on hemp beverages. 

Mississippi

Mississippi’s HB 1502 and SB 2706 were both left unfinished at the end of the legislative session.  These bills would have limited the size and amount of THC in hemp beverages and had the potential to ban e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales. 

Missouri

After a few false starts over the past month Missouri’s SB 54, which would be devastating to hemp businesses, was debated on the Missouri Senate floor.  Several senators came to the rescue, standing on the floor for 7 hours and arguing our position until SB 54’s sponsor withdrew his bill. As Dave Drebes, publisher of the daily newsletter Missouri Scout, wrote this morning, “Although the initial resistance was from Democratic Senators Karla May and Angela Mosley who took aim at what they dubbed the ‘marijuana monopoly’, Republican regulars soon joined in.

Senators Curtis Trent and Mike Cierpiot wondered why federally legal businesses — hemp shops — would be forced to have to buy licenses from federally illegal ones — pot dispensaries. Then Sen. Mike Moon worried that the bill would deprive Missourians of gun rights since they would be swept under state cannabis regulations which, when combined with federal gun laws, would keep hemp consumers from legally purchasing guns. And Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman lamented that the government was picking winners and losers again.”

If you live in the district of Senators Cierpiot, Coleman, May, Moon, Mosley, Roberts, or Trent, please email them ASAP and thank them for their efforts on our behalf yesterday. 

New York

In New York, S 7130 is new legislation that prohibits the sale of cannabinoid hemp products where the ratio of CBD to THC is less than 15:1.  If passed, this bill would eliminate the majority of the hemp marketplace in New York.  

Please use our State Action Center to urge lawmakers to oppose S 7130.

Texas

In Texas, we’ve been keeping you updated on potentially devastating legislation, and on Monday the House State Affairs Committee convened to hear testimony regarding proposed legislation related to THC. The hearing lasted approximately 17 hours and featured a combination of invited and public testimony.  A central theme throughout the hearing was strong opposition to the perceived inconsistency in HB 28, which proposes a ban on all hemp products containing THC—with the singular exception of THC-infused beverages. This inconsistency was repeatedly challenged by committee members, despite Chairman King’s efforts to position HB 28 as a more moderate alternative to SB 3’s comprehensive ban. 

In discussions held throughout the day with key committee members and leadership, it became evident that there is no current support for either SB 3 or HB 28 in their present forms. While there is general interest in pursuing a more balanced, common-sense regulatory approach, no substantial effort has been made to unify stakeholders around a compromise solution.

Leadership has also expressed concern that any workable compromise may still be deemed unacceptable by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. As previously stated, Lt. Gov. Patrick has threatened a special session focused solely on the THC issue, although he has not made any public statements since the conclusion of the hearing. 

It is vitally important that you use our State Action Center to continue urging lawmakers to oppose SB 3 and HB 28. 

You can hear more about the Texas legislation here.

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!