The full U.S. Senate has given final approval to a bill that would end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, and ban most hemp products nationwide
The bill, passed Monday evening, now moves to the House of Representatives, where lawmakers will decide whether to keep the hemp restrictions in place as part of the must-pass funding deal. If it passes the House, it moves to a supportive President Trump.
The final Senate vote follows days of negotiations and a failed push by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to strip the hemp language. Senator Paul introduced an amendment aimed directly at removing the ban, warning that the proposal would disrupt the hemp economy and contradict the framework established under the 2018 farm bill. His amendment was brought to the floor during Monday’s amendment process but was rejected by a wide margin, allowing the hemp provisions to remain fully intact.
With the amendment defeated, the chamber proceeded to vote on the full spending package, approving it and sending it across the Capitol. The legislation would rewrite the federal definition of legal hemp by replacing the 0.3% delta-9 THC dry-weight standard with an across-the-board cap of 0.4 milligrams total THC per product. It also blocks cannabinoids produced through chemical conversion and bans the sale of intermediate hemp compounds widely used in today’s supply chain.
If enacted, the new THC limit would effectively outlaw a broad range of hemp-derived items currently sold online and in convenience stores, including delta-8 and delta-10 products. Supporters argue the measure closes loopholes that have allowed intoxicating hemp goods to proliferate with little oversight, while opponents call it an industry-wide crackdown that goes far beyond consumer safety.
The House is expected to move quickly on the bill.
More articles from The Marijuana Herald can be found below.
