Bipartisan House Bill Would Create Federal Regulatory Framework for Hemp Products

A bipartisan pair of lawmakers is making another push to establish federal rules for hemp-derived cannabinoid products, introducing legislation they say would preserve the industry while replacing today’s patchwork of state regulations with a single national framework.

The Hill reported Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, and Andy Barr (R-Ky.) introduced the Lawful Hemp Protection Act on Wednesday. The proposal would create the first comprehensive federal regulatory system for consumable hemp products while distinguishing them from industrial hemp.

“My commonsense legislation will give regulatory clarity to Minnesota farmers, brewers and small business owners and provide an alternative to short-sighted federal policies that threaten Minnesota jobs and consumer choice,” Craig said.

Barr said the bill builds on Kentucky’s experience regulating hemp while protecting consumers.

“Kentucky has demonstrated that hemp can be successfully regulated while supporting farmers and protecting consumers,” Barr said. “This legislation builds on that success by creating a national framework that rewards responsible producers, eliminates bad actors, and ensures consumers have confidence in the products they purchase.”

The legislation arrives just months before federal restrictions scheduled to take effect in November 2026 would effectively prohibit many hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoid products, creating urgency for an industry seeking an alternative regulatory pathway.

A New Federal Framework

Rather than prohibiting consumable hemp products outright, the proposal would establish FDA oversight, require all finished products to be cultivated, processed, and packaged in the United States, mandate laboratory testing, impose a national minimum purchase age of 21, and require warning labels addressing impairment, pregnancy risks, and other health concerns.

The bill would also ban synthetic cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC while permitting cannabinoids naturally occurring in the hemp plant. Its regulatory structure is modeled after existing oversight by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Food and Drug Administration.

The legislation would establish a 1% total THC threshold for hemp cultivation while limiting finished consumer products to 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container.

Industry Looks for Regulatory Certainty

According to Barr’s office, the legislation has the White House’s approval, although a White House official pointed to President Donald Trump’s December 2025 executive order directing marijuana rescheduling and expanding CBD access through Medicare as the administration’s official position.

The proposal also follows comments from Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), who recently said a bipartisan Senate companion bill is in development.

Industry groups, including the Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, and the Hemp Beverage Alliance, endorsed the legislation.

“This isn’t a partisan issue,” said Brian Swensen, executive director of Hemp Industry & Farmers of America. “It’s about protecting farmers who planted in good faith, small business owners who built legal companies, and consumers who deserve safe, tested, legal products instead of being pushed into an unregulated market.”

A Growing Field of Hemp Bills

The Lawful Hemp Protection Act joins several competing bipartisan proposals that would take very different approaches to the future of hemp-derived cannabinoids.

• Hemp Safety Enforcement Act (S. 4315): Introduced by Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the bill would preserve state and Tribal authority over hemp products through a coordinated federal-state approach rather than creating a single national regulatory system.
• Hemp Planting Predictability Act (S. 3686/H.R. 7024): Introduced by a bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers, including Rep. Angie Craig, the bill would delay the November 2026 hemp restrictions until November 2028, giving the industry additional time to adapt without creating a permanent regulatory framework.
• Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (S. 3474): Sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the proposal would establish an FDA-led regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including manufacturing standards, testing, labeling, and age restrictions.
• HEMP Act (H.R. 7212): Introduced by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) and Marc Veasey (D-Texas), the bill would create an FDA regulatory pathway for cannabinoid hemp products intended for human consumption, emphasizing product safety, sanitation, and labeling requirements.

Unlike those measures, the Lawful Hemp Protection Act combines a national regulatory framework with new THC thresholds, bans synthetic cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC, distinguishes industrial hemp from consumable products, and establishes nationwide standards for testing, packaging, labeling, and minimum purchase age. It also models federal oversight on the FDA and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, making it one of the most comprehensive hemp regulatory proposals introduced this Congress.

While the proposal has bipartisan sponsors and support from the Trump administration, its path through Congress remains uncertain. With limited legislative time before the November hemp restrictions take effect, any changes are more likely to move as part of a larger appropriations package than as a standalone bill.

The federal restrictions on intoxicating hemp products are scheduled to take effect in November 2026, the same month industry leaders, operators, investors, regulators, and policymakers will gather in Washington, D.C. for IgniteIt’s Cannabis Capital & Policy Summit. As Congress weighs competing hemp bills, agencies finalize implementation, and advocacy groups make their final push on Capitol Hill, there is no better place to separate political noise from business reality.

If your company will be affected by hemp regulation, federal reform, or shifting enforcement priorities, this is the room where you’ll hear the latest intelligence—and the conversations happening behind the headlines. Join us on November 18 at the Grand Hyatt Washington for the industry’s day. Register here