Hemp ban delayed by four weeks after stopgap funding bill passes
The House of Representatives has delayed a federally approved ban on hemp products by four weeks, extending the deadline to December 11 to allow for further negotiations. The delay was included in a stopgap funding bill passed to avoid a government shutdown ahead of the midterm elections, with important bipartisan support. Though, 19 Republicans opposed the measure due to concerns over a provision that extends the hemp ban deadline. The initial language aiming to ban certain hemp products was part of a broader government funding deal made in November 2025, partly driven by senator Mitch mcconnell to close a loophole allowing intoxicating hemp products into the market. Critics,including some senators adn House members like Rep. Andy Harris, argue that the current loophole endangers public health by permitting access to high-THC products in convenience stores, which they refer to as “gas station weed.” Hemp industry advocates welcomed the extension, stating it provides crucial time to develop a sustainable regulatory framework. The bill now proceeds to President Donald Trump for his signature.
The House of Representatives delayed a congressionally approved impending ban on hemp products by four weeks on Tuesday, giving the hemp industry until Dec. 11 as it attempts to negotiate a lifeline.
The House pushed through the Senate-passed funding bill on Tuesday, with 176 Democrats joining Republicans to pass the stopgap funding measure and avoid a government shutdown ahead of the midterm elections. But 19 Republicans voted against the measure for various reasons, including a provision extending the deadline for the federal hemp ban by just over four weeks.
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The initial hemp-banning language was passed as part of Congress’s November 2025 deal to fund the government after a 43-day shutdown. Championed by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as a way to close a loophole allowing intoxicating hemp and bad actors into the market, the hemp industry says it would wipe out 95% of all currently available products in the United States.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) wrote the hemp-cliff extension to add to the Senate continuing resolution in early August. The language moving the deadline for the ban to take effect from Nov. 11 to Dec. 12 was passed through the Senate and just passed the House on Tuesday.
The issue crosses partisan lines, as key players from both parties have both spoken up in support of the hemp ban and against it.
Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) has been one of the most vocal members of the House this week, speaking against the extension of the hemp ban, saying the current hemp loophole allows for young children to access intoxicating products in accessible spaces such as gas stations.
“Dangerous ‘gas station weed’ is being sold in convenience stores across the country — and some products can contain even more THC than marijuana,” Harris said in a statement on Tuesday. “A loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill allowed these unregulated products to flood the market. I worked to close that loophole. Now, the Senate wants to keep it open longer. I’m working to get ‘gas station weed’ off our streets and away from our children.”
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However, hemp industry players cheered the extension on Tuesday. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable, a hemp advocacy group, said the provision in the stopgap funding measure gives them “critical additional time to continue working toward a responsible, long-term federal regulatory framework.”
The CR now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
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