After a record 43 days, the federal government shutdown is over. President Donald Trump signed a bill approved in the House and Senate on Nov. 12 that will fund the government through January.
But for hemp farmers and others connected to the industry in Kentucky, the fight is just beginning.
Slipped into the compromise was language backed by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell that limits the amount of THC that can be included in hemp-based products to 0.4 milligrams. THC, an abbreviation of tetrahydrocannabinol, is the intoxicating chemical in marijuana, which has been legalized in several states but remains banned federally.
McConnell has said his aim was to close a loophole opened in a 2018 farm appropriations bill he supported that inadvertently allowed hemp-based products with intoxicating qualities to hit the market. Hemp has become big business in the years since, and industry advocates are up in arms about the looming crackdown — including U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, who both opposed the measure.
The law is set to go into effect after a 365-day grace period to give farmers time to pivot. But industry members such as Jim Higdon, cofounder of Louisville-based Cornbread Hemp, say that timeframe is shorter than it appears.
"A year is a long time, but not for Congress,” he said, urging for more legislation to address the issue before the ban begins. “To get a bill through, it's going to take a sprint, but it's possible."
Read the rest at the Courier-Journal.
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