1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to urge you to delay and ultimately replace the federal hemp ban enacted under Section 781 of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-37), which is scheduled to take effect on November 12, 2026. I ask that you support a regulated, legal framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products rather than a prohibition that will eliminate a lawful industry overnight. This provision was inserted into a must-pass government funding bill rather than debated on its own merits. It rewrites the federal definition of hemp by replacing the 2018 Farm Bill’s delta-9 THC standard with a “total THC” standard and capping legal products at 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container. Industry analysts estimate this will render roughly 95% of the existing retail hemp market federally illegal, affecting a sector valued at approximately $28-30 billion that supports more than 300,000 jobs and generates an estimated $1.5 billion in annual state tax revenue. The case for delay is urgent and bipartisan. The FDA missed its own statutory deadline of February 10, 2026 to publish the required lists of cannabinoids and to define the term “container” — the very definitions that determine which products are legal. Businesses are being asked to comply with rules the government has not yet written. This alone justifies pressing pause. I therefore ask you to take the following actions. First, support the Hemp Planting Predictability Act (H.R. 7024 and its Senate companion, S. 3686), introduced by Rep. Baird and by Senators Klobuchar, Paul, and Merkley, which would extend the implementation timeline by amending “365 days” to “3 years,” moving the effective date to November 2028 and giving Congress time to craft sound policy. Second, support a comprehensive regulatory framework rather than prohibition, such as the HEMP Act (H.R. 7212) introduced by Rep. Griffith, the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act introduced by Senators Wyden and Merkley, or the Lawful Hemp Protection Act advanced by Rep. Barr. These bills propose age restrictions, testing requirements, labeling standards, and per-serving limits, protecting consumers and keeping products out of the hands of minors without destroying a legal market. Third, reject prohibition as a public-safety strategy. Banning these products will not eliminate demand; it will push consumers toward unregulated and untested sources, the opposite of the safety outcome the provision claims to seek. Sensible regulation accomplishes the goal of protecting minors while preserving legitimate businesses and jobs. A one-size-fits-all federal ban does not work for the many states that have already built strong safety and testing standards around these products. I am asking you to give farmers, small businesses, and consumers in our state a workable path forward through regulation rather than recriminalization. Thank you for your attention to this issue. I would appreciate knowing your position on the November 2026 hemp provision and on the delay and regulatory bills now before Congress. I look forward to your response.