UPDATE: A Pivotal Pause—Senator Merkley’s Amendment Buys Time for Hemp Reform

On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a one-year delay in implementing the controversial hemp product ban proposed in the House Appropriations Bill—thanks to an amendment championed by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Although the approval throws the hemp industry into an abyss of unnecessary uncertainty, this delay offers a critical window to […]