Congress moved to close a major loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill by adding new restrictions on hemp-derived cannabinoids to the federal spending bill, signed on November 12, 2025, which ended the 43-day shutdown. The 2018 law legalized hemp by setting a 0.3 percent delta-9 THC dry-weight limit, which unintentionally allowed manufacturers to extract or convert to other psychoactive cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC and sell them in gummies, drinks, and vapes with minimal oversight. These products have since proliferated in gas stations, convenience stores, and wellness shops across the country.
The new provision tightens federal rules by banning any hemp-derived product that contains more than 0.4 milligrams total THC or any other cannabinoid that has similar intoxicating effects. This change shifts federal regulation away from a plant-based dry-weight standard and toward a milligrams-per-product approach that captures all psychoactive cannabinoids combined.
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