It's law: the federal hemp THC ban now hits December 11
The House passed the stopgap 370-48 and the President signed it, moving most of the hemp THC ban to Dec. 11. Synthetics still get cut off Nov. 12.
The delay is official. On September 1, the House passed H.R. 6500, the stopgap spending bill the Senate approved in August, by a 370-48 vote. The President signed it the next day. Along with funding the government through December 11, it pushes the federal hemp THC ban back by 30 days.
Here's the calendar that matters. On November 12, anything the cannabis plant can't produce naturally loses its hemp status, right on the original schedule. On December 11, the big stuff kicks in: hemp gets measured by total THC (THCA and delta-8 count, not just delta-9), and finished products are capped at 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container. Until then, the old 2018 Farm Bill definition still rules.
Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN), who pushed for the delay, pitched it as time for Congress and farmers to land a long-term fix. Don't count on another one: the White House said this 30-day extension is the last it supports.
Why it matters: Popular hemp drinks and edibles typically carry 2 to 10-plus milligrams of THC. Unless Congress acts before December 11, they become federally illegal.
