It’s Farm Bill Markup Day on Capitol Hill, and hemp is on the agenda

It’s Farm Bill Markup Day on Capitol Hill, and hemp is on the agenda.

Today at 6:00 PM ET, the House Agriculture Committee holds a markup of the “Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026,” better known as the 2026 Farm Bill. Included in the base text are much-needed provisions that provide regulatory relief to hemp fiber and grain farmers, while also ensuring that THC testing opportunities are not limited to DEA laboratories.

While there are no provisions related to cannabinoids, Reps. Jim Baird and Angie Craig have introduced an amendment to provide for a one-year extension of the hemp ban moratorium that currently expires on November 12, 2026. This extension would provide much-needed relief to U.S. farmers currently deciding whether to plant hemp crops this spring. The extension would also allow for much-needed more time to consider and pass legislation to provide a robust regulatory framework to replace the impending ban.

We do not expect a vote on this amendment – the committee’s chair has deemed it not to be germane to the Farm Bill. However, this will provide an excellent opportunity for supporting Members of Congress to share their concern about the impending ban and the need for a regulatory solution.

Speaking of our friend Rep. Baird, our thoughts are with him as we mourn the recent passing of his beloved wife of more than a half-century, Danise. May her memory be a blessing.

You can watch the markup here tonight. In the meantime, use our Federal Action Center to urge your Members of Congress to extend the hemp moratorium and protect American hemp.