Proposed language in the next Farm Bill could substantially impact the hemp industry in the United States. The Farm Bill is an omnibus bill that governs agriculture and food and is renewed approximately every five years. The 2018 Farm Bill expired in 2023, but Congress enacted a one-year extension. Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network reports that Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) believes that the 2018 Farm Bill will be extended for another year.
The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the statutory definition of "marijuana" and defined hemp as all parts of the cannabis plant—and all of its derivatives, extracts, and cannabinoids—with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of less than 0.3 percent. 7 U.S.C. §1639o. The presence of other cannabinoids, including other forms of THC, does not factor into the classification of hemp. Delta-9 THC gives users the euphoric high associated with marijuana and is one of dozens of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.
Intoxicating hemp-derived products have become popular, including delta-8 THC. Delta-8 THC naturally occurs in small quantities in hemp but can be converted from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD). It has similar effects to delta-9 THC but is not as potent. According to Cannabis Business Times, delta-8 products generated $1.2 billion in sales in 2023.
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