INDUSTRY UPDATES

March 28, 2025

Hemp Bill Updates in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Ohio

We’re tracking legislative moves in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Ohio that have varying impacts on hemp businesses and consumers.

Alabama – A Win for Hemp Beverages!

SB 237, which would have put hemp beverages under Alcoholic Beverage Control, was rejected in committee! We continue to monitor three other bills in the state.

Arkansas – Two Major Bills

SB 455 establishes clear hemp regulations, including age restrictions and packaging standards. Support this bill!
SB 533 would effectively eliminate the hemp market by capping consumable hemp products at 1mg per container. Oppose this bill!

Kentucky – SB 202 Signed into Law

Governor Beshear signed SB 202, regulating cannabis-infused beverages like alcohol. While a proposed hemp beverage ban was rejected, the law places a 5mg THC cap per serving.

Montana – Extreme THC Limits Looming

HB 49, which caps THC at 0.5mg per serving and 2mg per package, has passed the legislature and is heading to the governor’s desk. Tell Governor Greg Gianforte to veto this bill!

Nevada – Dangerous Hemp Ban Proposed

SB 356 would ban consumable hemp products with any detectable THC. Oppose this bill! 

New Mexico – HB 346 Threatens Hemp Products

This bill would ban semi-synthetic cannabinoids like converted Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC. Tell Governor Lujan Grisham to veto HB 346!

Ohio – A New, More Reasonable Bill Introduced

A new bill, HB 198, presents a better approach to hemp regulation—calling for licensing, proper labeling, independent testing, and 21+ sales instead of extreme THC limits proposed in other bills.  We applaud its introduction and look forward to working with the legislature to advance regulation, not prohibition, of the hemp industry.

Learn more about hemp legislation in each state and take action below! 

Alabama

Some good news from Alabama. SB 237, which would have mandated that hemp beverages be regulated by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board was rejected by a Senate committee following a tense public hearing.  We are still monitoring three other bills in the state as discussed here.

If you live or own a business in Alabama, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today. 

Contact Alabama Legislators

Arizona

SB 1556, which we’ve previously reported on, has been amended to effectively ban all hemp products that are not beverages. SB 1556 would redefine industrial hemp to exclude any product made to be ingested except Adult Hemp Beverages. 

The bill’s definition changes mean that tinctures, gummies, capsules and other ingestible products made with hemp-derived cannabinoids would no longer be legal.

Current businesses selling hemp products (outside of beverages) would lose access to legal sales. This jeopardizes small business, farmers, and consumer access to hemp products in Arizona.  

If you live or own a business in Arizona, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today. 

Contact Arizona Legislators

Arkansas

Two new bills have been introduced in Arkansas: First a promising one:  SB 455 establishes a new regulatory framework that defines hemp and hemp products, sets age restrictions related to hemp products, and outlines regulatory responsibilities.

The bill defines “hemp product” as any product derived from or containing hemp, including without limitation oils, extracts, delta-8, tetrahydrocannabinol, delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol, and other hemp-derived cannabinoids. The bill mandates that retail hemp products must not exceed 50 milligrams of hemp-derived cannabinoids per serving in the aggregate of one or more hemp-derived cannabinoids.

Additionally, hemp products must be packaged in child-resistant containers that adhere to specific labeling requirements.

Unfortunately, Arkansas also saw the recent introduction of SB 533, which regulates the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of consumable hemp products in Arkansas and charges the Tobacco Control Board with the regulation of consumable hemp products. SB 533 would virtually eliminate the entire hemp market by limiting consumable hemp product to 1mg per container. Please use our state action center to urge lawmakers to oppose the bill.

If you live or own a business in Arkansas, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today in opposition of SB 533, and in support of SB 455. 

Contact Arkansas Legislators

Kentucky

In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear signed SB 202, which as discussed here, regulates cannabis-infused beverages as alcohol. Fortunately, efforts to ban hemp beverages were rejected; however, this new law places a 5 mg THC cap on beverage products. The bill includes an emergency clause, meaning it takes effect immediately.

Montana

In Montana, as we previously alerted, HB 49 sets THC limits of 0.5mg per serving and 2mg per package for hemp products. The bill has now passed the House and the Senate and is headed to the governor’s desk. 

If you live or own a business in Montana, please use our state action center below to contact Governor Greg Gianforte to veto HB 49.

Montana State Action Center

Nevada

A dangerous bill has been proposed in Nevada: SB 356 prohibits the sale of consumable hemp products with THC concentrations above the limit of detection, which is defined to mean the lowest concentration of THC that can be reliably detected using a method of testing established by the Board by regulation. A consumable hemp product must be sold in a single package that contains a THC concentration that does not exceed the limit of detection and not more than five servings of a size established by the Board by regulation.

If you live or own a business in Nevada, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today in opposition of SB 356. 

Nevada State Action Center

New Mexico

In New Mexico, HB 346, as we previously alerted, amends the Hemp Manufacturing Act to give the Environment Department authority over finished hemp products at retail.  In addition, the bill imposes a prohibition on synthetic cannabinoids and semi-synthetic cannabinoids, by banning the receipt, possession, adverting, marketing and sale of synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids in New Mexico.  While we support efforts to ban purely synthetic products, we oppose efforts to ban semi-synthetics such as converted Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC products. The bill has now passed the House and the Senate and is headed to the governor’s desk. 

If you live or own a business in New Mexico, please use our state action center below to contact Governor Lujan Grisham to veto HB 346.

New Mexico State Action Center

Ohio

Some promising news in the Buckeye State. In Ohio, our industry has been under attack with bills in both legislative chambers (HB 160, SB 86) calling for hemp products above .5 milligrams of THC per serving and 2 milligrams of THC per package to be sold exclusively in dispensaries.

In response, a variety of advocates, including members of the Hemp Roundtable, have been encouraging a different approach that would increase regulations and age restrict hemp products, preserving rather than killing the hemp industry.

We are pleased to report that the message is catching on and this week a new bill was introduced that is much more in line with that regulatory approach, eliminating these arbitrary THC limits and calling for licensure, proper labeling, independent testing and restricting sales of hemp products to those 21 and over.  

HB 198 is just a start, but it’s a critical component to developing a new dialogue around hemp products in Ohio, with many members of the majority party in the Ohio House joining on as co-sponsors. 

The USHR will continue to fight for access to all hemp products – and continued direct-to-consumer commerce — as the House and Senate debate these different approaches to hemp regulation in Ohio. Ohio should not force hemp products into dispensaries.

While more work needs to be done, HB 198 offers a regulatory framework that supports more consumer access and broader availability of hemp products through traditional retail channels. We need to let the legislature know that hemp regulation, not bans or dispensary-only policies, is the best way to support and maintain the hemp industry in Ohio.

Ohio Hemp Supporters are encouraged to use our State Action Center to email legislators to defeat hemp retail ban bills and applaud the introduction of HB 198.

Ohio State 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!