A bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers of Congress has introduced legislation that would delay the federal government’s looming ban on most hemp-derived products by two years, from November 2026 to November 2028.
The Hemp Planting Predictability Act, introduced in January as H.R. 7024, was filed by Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), with co-sponsors including Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), and Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC). A companion bill was introduced in the Senate on January 15 by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
The legislation targets Section 781 of the fiscal year 2026 agriculture appropriations package, which imposed a new definition of hemp that caps finished products at 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container — a threshold the U.S. Hemp Roundtable estimates would eliminate roughly 95 percent of products currently on the market. The provision also introduced a total-THC standard that counts THCA alongside delta-9 THC, and banned synthetic cannabinoids.
The bill’s mechanism is straightforward: it would replace the “365 days” implementation window with “3 years,” effectively moving the deadline to late 2028.
Supporters say the delay is necessary to prevent economic damage to an industry the Hemp Roundtable values at $28 billion, supporting approximately 320,000 American jobs. Rep. Comer said the legislation “gives farmers and America’s hemp industry the time they need to adapt while Congress works to establish a clear, reasonable regulatory framework.”
The bill currently awaits consideration by the House Committee on Agriculture. However, its prospects were complicated in March when the committee advanced the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 without adopting any amendments to delay the hemp ban, with Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) ruling such amendments non-germane.
Industry groups continue to lobby for either a delay or a revised regulatory framework that would preserve market access for compliant hemp products. For consumers seeking information about currently available, lab-tested CBD products, [SafeCBD.com](https://safecbd.com) tracks regulatory compliance across major brands.
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Sources: H.R. 7024 (Hemp Planting Predictability Act); U.S. Hemp Roundtable; Cannabis Business Times; Lucky Elk hemp news analysis
