1. United States
2. Tenn.
3. Letter

I am a constituent from Nashville, Tennessee, and I am writing to express my strong opposition to the federal ban on hemp-derived THC products set to take effect December 11. I urge you to delay it and replace it with sensible regulation. When Congress legalized hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill, farmers and entrepreneurs built businesses in good faith on the rules Congress wrote. According to Whitney Economics, the ban could erase about $28.3 billion in retail revenue and displace 225,000 jobs. These are not abstractions: they are small manufacturers, farmers, retailers, and beverage makers, such as Kentucky's Cornbread Hemp, which employs 105 people and expects $65 million in sales this year. A North Carolina gummy maker who started his business after losing his job during the pandemic told reporters he may soon have nothing to show for four years of work, and a Wisconsin beverage company has already halted production. A cap of 0.4 milligrams per container would destroy businesses like these overnight and would even sweep in non-intoxicating CBD products. The ban also costs the public money. That report projects states would lose $2.1 billion in potential sales tax revenue. Closing a legal, taxable market does not make demand disappear; it moves it to untaxed, unregulated sellers, while communities lose revenue they could use for schools, roads, and public safety. Finally, this is a question of personal freedom. Adults make their own decisions about what they consume, and many have chosen hemp beverages as an alternative to alcohol. A blanket ban is a blunt tool; regulation is better. The industry itself supports restricting sales to adults 21 and older, limiting THC per package, and banning imported cannabinoid compounds. Those are reasonable guardrails that protect young people without dismantling lawful businesses. I respectfully ask that you support legislation to delay the December 11 effective date and establish a federal regulatory framework in place of an outright ban. Thousands of businesses, their employees, and their customers are counting on Congress to get this right.