INDUSTRY UPDATES

May 09, 2025

Updates in Seven States: Alabama, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, and Texas

A quick breakdown:

  • Alabama: HB 445, which bans smokable hemp, restricts sales, imposes a 10% excise tax, and caps THC levels, awaits the governor’s action and would significantly harm small hemp businesses if enacted. (more info)
  • California: SB 378, which could ban direct-to-consumer sales of hemp products, has passed committee and is under negotiation for possible amendments to protect compliant hemp businesses. (more info)
  • Massachusetts: Legislative momentum is growing for bills HB 357 and SB 222 to legalize hemp-derived THC beverages, with increasing consensus on the failure of prohibition and a broader cannabis law overhaul likely this session.(more info)
  • Michigan: Proposed state rules would severely restrict THC content in hemp products and require a strict CBD-to-THC ratio. (more info)
  • Minnesota: SF 2370, heading to conference committee, includes packaging and THC limits on edible hemp products. (more info)
  • Montana: SB 375, now on the governor’s desk, would immediately ban all hemp products containing THC if signed into law. (more info)
  • Texas: The committee-approved SB 3, now 147 pages of industry-hostile provisions, poses a major threat to hemp amid a crowded legislative agenda and needs urgent opposition from stakeholders. (more info)

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

Take Action Now

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! Let’s keep up the fight and momentum moving foward!

Alabama

In Alabama, a substitute version of HB 445 is expected to be adopted in the Senate and is likely to pass.  While the new language includes favorable items like the elimination of the three-tier licensing system, several issues still remain. These include a prohibition on shipping hemp into and within the state, a ban on sampling, the requirement to individually wrap gummies, and prohibiting offsite sales. The current THC limit per container is currently 40mg and a higher limit would be preferred. We will continue to track this development closely and keep Hemp Supporters up to date. 

Alabama Action Center

California

California’s SB 378 was introduced to respond to the online sale of cannabis and hemp products that are not compliant with California law. This bill would ban virtually all hemp products from sale direct-to-consumer (DTC), a lifeline for millions of Californians who rely on these products for their health and wellness. Indeed, it likely violates the United States Constitution.  This is yet another step that the state is taking to continue to dismantle the hemp industry, resulting in thousands of lost jobs and tens of millions of dollars in sales tax revenue. Please use our State Action Center to urge the legislature bill.

The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously on April 25.  It will next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 12.  It will have substantial cost to the state for its implementation, which means it will be referred to the committee’s Suspense File where it will sit until the committee acts on all bills with cost the day before Memorial Day weekend.

California Action Center

Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, support for the Commonwealth Beverage Coalition’s efforts to legalize hemp-derived THC-infused beverages through the three-tiered alcohol system continues to grow. Efforts are focused on targeting the Legislature’s publicly stated intent to review and update Massachusetts’ cannabis law as a possible vehicle for the legalization of hemp-derived THC-infused beverages. The Legislature’s consumer protection committee is scheduled to hear HB 367 and SB 222 on Monday, May 12. The outlook in Massachusetts continues to be positive.

Michigan

Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, which is part of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs department, has proposed new rules for CBD and industrial hemp products. The new rules would limit THC in industrial hemp products to no more than 1.75mg per serving and 10mg per package. Additionally, the proposed rule would not permit THC levels in industrial hemp products to exceed 1/15th of the amount of CBD that is in the industrial hemp product. Please use our State Action Center to urge the agency to change the rule as currently written.

Michigan Action Center

Minnesota

Minnesota’s SF 2370 has cleared the House and Senate and a conference committee will be held to hash out differences in policy between the chambers. The amendments added in the House are technical in nature to bolster the roll out of the Office of Cannabis Management, which is established in the bill. This bill also sets new limits on delta-9 THC in edible products at 0.3 percent. Ingestible hemp products, excluding beverages, that contain multiple servings must indicate a serving by scoring, wrapping, or other indicators designating the individual serving size. If it is not possible to indicate each serving size on the product, then the product may not be packaged in a manner that includes more than a single serving in each container. 

Montana

In Montana, SB 375 is heading to Governor Gianforte’s desk after passing through the legislature. This bill would ban the sale of hemp products that contain THC and would become effective immediately upon approval by the governor. Please use our State Action Center to urge Governor Gianforte to veto this bill.

Montana Action Center

Texas

The substitute version of Texas’ SB 3 passed committee this week and is now 147 pages of bad language for the hemp industry. Although there is some indication that the Governor and Speaker would prefer a regulatory bill vs a ban, the state agenda on bail reform, property tax relief, border security and restrictions on foreign owned lands, has voters more energized than the threat to the hemp industry.  If Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick uses those issues to threaten legislators, then hemp loses. It is imperative that hemp supporters use our State Action Center to urge legislators to oppose this bill.

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!