A bill signed by President Donald Trump to reopen the federal government contains language that could effectively shut down America’s hemp industry.
A provision will ban unregulated THC-infused edibles and drinks nationwide one year from now.
Brooklyn Hill, president of Mo Hemp Trade Association, told Missourinet what happens next.
“So what the signing of the bill triggered was a 365-day shot clock, essentially for the hemp industries to go back to their states and try to get reasonable regulation,” she said.
The new law will limit THC content in hemp products to less than 0.3%. Supporters of the new law say it will close a loophole that fueled the growth of unregulated hemp products, including Delta-8, that are widely available online and in convenience stores, with no age restrictions for purchase.
But the 365-day “shot clock” gives Missouri and other states time to pass their own hemp regulations.
“I’m very optimistic coming into it,” Hill said. “However, it’s going to take a lot of hard work. It’s going to take the hemp industry to be united in this fight, and it’s definitely at this time an uphill battle.”
And if Missouri lawmakers fail to pass a hemp regulation bill in 2026 and get it to Gov. Mike Kehoe?
“Businesses (will) close, thousands and thousands of people are going to be without jobs,” Hill said. “It’s going to limit, like I said, consumer access for the people who rely on our products. There’s a lot of veterans, moms with autistic children, things of that nature. A lot of mental health patients seek hemp-derived products.”
Whitney Economics, which advocates for the hemp industry, published a report in 2023 showing Missouri had just over 8,000 hemp jobs that paid $321 million in wages, with a market value ranging between $677- and $697 million.
In August of 2024, then-Gov. Mike Parson issued an executive order that prohibited the sale of “foods containing psychoactive cannabis compounds” in Missouri unless they came from an “approved source.” However, then-Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft refused to sign off on the executive order. The following month, Gov. Parson and then-Attorney General Andrew Bailey unveiled a task force designed to “combat the spread” of unregulated cannabis products. However, enforcement actions ended before the month was over, according to Mo Hemp Trade’s website.
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