Major Congressional Pushback Against Hemp Ban

Our grassroots campaign to send 100,000 letters to Congress is well underway, and momentum is building. We’re making it clear that farmers, small businesses, and the general public do not want to see a hemp product ban. If you haven’t yet, please take action. We sent out an email yesterday that includes a recording of our Virtual Town Hall and outlines the steps you can take to help us hit our goal.

Thanks to your grassroots efforts and the hard work of many of our members working hard to spread awareness, many individuals in Congress are now speaking out as well. Two major bipartisan letters have now been sent to leadership in both chambers:

House Letter – Lead by Congressman James Comer (R-KY): 27 Members of Congress from 13 states urged removal of hemp-killing language from the Agriculture-FDA Appropriations bill. They warned that the measure would recriminalize hemp, wipe out 95% of the industry, and jeopardize 328,000 jobs nationwide.

Senate Letter – Lead by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR): Eight Senators urged leadership to reject any spending-bill language that would re-criminalize hemp and instead pursue a regulatory framework with 21+ age limits, independent third-party lab testing, and standardized packaging/labeling.These strong congressional voices reinforce what we’ve been saying: the answer is responsible regulation, not prohibition.

Our full press release, with quotes from Congressman Comer (R-KY) and Senator Wyden (D-OR), is included below.

Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Congressional Leaders to Oppose Hemp Ban
Letters call for effective federal regulations, not prohibition

WASHINGTON (September 26, 2025) — With the threat of prohibition still looming over the $28.4 billion hemp industry, 35 Members of Congress sent joint letters to leadership urging strong opposition to the inclusion of hemp-killing language in any final spending package. Instead, lawmakers are calling for the passage of responsible, effective regulations aimed at protecting consumers and supporting a growing American industry.
 
In a letter spearheaded by Representative James Comer (R-KY) and Representative Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), a bipartisan group of Congress members across 13 states detailed how language in the House version of the Agriculture-FDA Appropriations bill would recriminalize hemp products, an effort that would wipe out 95% of the industry and jeopardize 328,000 American jobs. Rushing into a misguided ban on hemp would negatively impact every sector of the industry as hemp farmers depend on the continued viability of all three hemp markets, grain, fiber and retail.
 
“I’ve witnessed firsthand the tremendous potential of industrial hemp to create quality jobs and meaningful economic opportunities for American workers and family farmers,” said Rep. Comer. “As Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture, I spearheaded the state’s industrial hemp pilot program and continue to be a strong advocate for the hemp industry in Congress. I’m fully committed to leading bipartisan efforts to urge House leadership to strip harmful language from the FY26 Ag-FDA bill—and any final appropriations package—that arbitrarily redefines legal hemp.”
 
Additionally, a joint letter, led by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), was delivered to Senate leadership, recommending legislation to establish a framework that would safeguard consumers and allow the continued growth of hemp farmers and business owners. These regulations would include age restrictions, independent third-party lab testing, and standardized packaging, labeling, and manufacturing.
 
“Consumer safety and protecting kids while promoting opportunities for national economic growth in the hemp industry can and must go hand-in-hand,” said Sen. Wyden. “Congress needs to get serious about pursuing common-sense safeguards to protect kids and consumers and encourage innovation instead of a one-size-fits-all approach that hinders economic development and doesn’t keep kids safe.”

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About the U.S. Hemp Roundtable:
The U.S. Hemp Roundtable is a coalition of dozens of leading companies and organizations committed to safe hemp and CBD products. We proudly represent the industry’s major national grassroots organizations and are leading the way forward for hemp and CBD products through education and action.