Before the US Senate and House moved to reopen the federal
government, the matter of “intoxicating hemp products”
became a sticking point in their efforts to end the longest
government shutdown in U.S. history.
On November 10, 2025, the Senate passed an appropriations
package which contains a short-term continuing resolution to fund
the government and end the shutdown, along with a full year
agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. The new
legislation includes a significant change to the federal definition
of hemp and closes what many have perceived to be an unintended
loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill for “intoxicating hemp
products." These products have fueled the growth and expansion
of the consumable, topical and inhalable hemp products market over
the past few years. In addition, the Senate package includes strict
potency limits for finished goods. The net result is a near total
federal ban on most hemp products.
