Senate Seeks to Delay Federal Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products

The U.S. Senate has included a provision in the government funding bill to delay the federal ban on intoxicating hemp products by one month, from November 12 to December 11, 2024. The Hemp Planting Predictability Act, sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT), aims to provide the hemp industry additional time for compliance. However, attorneys general from 35 states have pushed back against the delay, arguing that intoxicating hemp products—including delta-8 and delta-10 THC—pose public health and safety concerns. This regulatory conflict highlights ongoing tensions between federal efforts to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoids and state-level enforcement priorities.