This Week In Cannabis: America’s Crackdown Down On Hemp, Global Reform, Industry Gathering In Chicago
A federal crackdown on hemp-derived cannabinoids advanced in Congress this week, triggering alarm across the $28 billion U.S. hemp industry. A House subcommittee approved a spending bill that would redefine hemp in a way that bans most intoxicating cannabinoid products, including THCA flower, delta-8 and even some full-spectrum CBD.
The proposed legislation, backed by Rep. Andy Harris, now moves to the full House Appropriations Committee for markup on June 11. If enacted, it could reshape the cannabis landscape far beyond hemp, affecting retailers, manufacturers and state regulators across the country.
All this sets the stage for next week’s Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, taking place June 8–10 at the Marriott Magnificent Mile in Chicago. With more than 120 speaker, the event will focus on capital raising, M&A, state-level policy and how operators are adapting in the face of intensifying federal scrutiny.
From California’s record-breaking sales decline to regulatory confusion in Argentina and legalization momentum in Chile and Ukraine, here’s everything that moved the global cannabis conversation this week.
Congress Advances Hemp THC Ban, Industry Warns Of Collapse
A GOP-led House subcommittee has advanced a bill that would redefine hemp and effectively ban most intoxicating cannabinoid products, including THCA, delta-8, delta-10 and full-spectrum CBD. The measure, included in the FY2026 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill, passed in a 9–7 vote and now heads to the full House Appropriations Committee for markup on June 11.
Backed by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), the bill proposes narrowing hemp’s legal uses to fiber, grain, and industrial applications, with an exemption for FDA-approved drugs like Epidiolex. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable warned that the language could destroy a $28.4 billion market and cost more than 300,000 jobs.
Marijuana Moment first reported the bill’s advancement and its potential to shut down the market for unregulated cannabinoids, many of which emerged under the 2018 Farm Bill.
“This would eliminate the vast majority of hemp-derived products sold nationwide,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the Roundtable. “It’s a farmer-crushing, job-killing ban.”
Critics, including the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America and the National Cannabis Industry Association, say …