Lawmakers in the United States Senate have rejected an attempt to remove a provision that would place a nationwide ban on most hemp products.
The vote to table the amendment by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), effectively killing it, keeps the hemp language intact as the chamber prepares to give the overall spending bill final approval, a step expected to happen today as Congress moves to end the ongoing government shutdown. Once the Senate gives the bill final approval, it will be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
The amendment, which was tabled by a vote of 76 to 24, sought to preserve the hemp framework established under the 2018 farm bill eliminating the section of the package that rewrites the federal definition of legal hemp. That provision replaces the long-standing 0.3% delta-9 THC dry-weight limit with an across-the-board cap of 0.4 milligrams total THC per product. It also places new restrictions on cannabinoids that are produced outside the plant’s natural processes and prohibits the sale of “intermediate” hemp-derived compounds commonly used in manufacturing.
With the amendment defeated, the bill continues forward with language that would effectively recriminalize a wide swath of hemp-derived items sold in gas stations, convenience stores, and online markets. These products—including those containing delta-8, delta-10, and other THC isomers—have grown rapidly in availability since President Trump signed the farm bill into law.
The spending measure directs federal agencies to publish detailed lists of naturally occurring cannabinoids and THC-class compounds within 90 days of enactment, signaling a significant tightening of oversight.
Senator Paul says the spending package’s hemp provision “will eliminate 100% of the hemp products in our country”, saying it would “preempt all state laws regarding hemp.” Paul called the hemp provision the “most thoughtless, ignorant proposal to an industry I’ve seen in a long, long time.”
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) cosponsored Paul’s amendment, concurred with his arguments, saying that it would essentially wipe out the hemp industry including CBD products.
The overall spending package was negotiated by congressional appropriators as part of the broader effort to fund the government, and Senate leaders say the chamber is now positioned to move quickly toward a final vote.
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