Lobbyists for major alcohol companies encouraged state attorneys general in the United States to press Congress to keep a scheduled federal ban on intoxicating hemp products in place, according to a report by Politico. The story was summarised by Marijuana Moment, which is the main source for this article.

Politico said it had obtained a collection of emails, which it reported were gathered through public records requests by a hemp industry representative. They reportedly show lobbyists acting for firms including Anheuser-Busch, Molson Coors and Diageo asking attorneys general to sign a letter urging Congress not to reverse course.

What the emails reportedly say

In one July email to North Dakota’s attorney general, lobbyist Todd Kranda wrote that a “couple fringe U.S. Senators” wanted to extend the “loophole” by another year in a continuing resolution to fund the government. Politico reported that Mr Kranda said he was working on behalf of Anheuser-Busch.

In August, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley joined 34 other state and territory attorneys general in sending a letter to federal lawmakers. It asked them to reject “any effort to delay, repeal, suspend, or weaken” the ban and to ensure it takes effect as enacted.

The ban and the deadline

Hemp with less than 0.3 per cent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis was legalised federally by the 2018 Farm Bill. Legislation signed late last year redefined hemp so that only products containing 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container would stay legal after 12 November.

Under a funding bill signed last month, the effective date for most products has been pushed back to 11 December, giving lawmakers more time to draft regulations. Synthetic cannabinoids that cannot be naturally produced by the cannabis plant are still due to be banned on 12 November.

Efforts to change course

Republican congressman Morgan Griffith told Roll Call he hoped his THC regulatory bill could be added to a budget reconciliation bill before 11 December, during the lame-duck session after next week’s midterm elections. He and Democrat Marc Veasey have filed the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization, and Protection (HEMP) Act, which would keep hemp products legal under new rules.

Mr Griffith said some Republicans, including Andy Harris and Senator Ted Budd, “just want to stop” intoxicating hemp products. He warned that failing to act before the deadline would “create all kinds of issues”.

Other proposals include a bill from Beth Van Duyne that would tax and regulate hemp THC drinks like alcohol, and measures from James Comer and Andy Barr that would add rules on packaging, testing, labelling and age limits. Marijuana Moment reported that none has yet gained traction with congressional leaders.

President Donald Trump and White House officials have repeatedly urged Congress to change the law, particularly to protect access to full-spectrum CBD products. Some alcohol industry groups, including the National Restaurant Association, have also called for regulation rather than a ban.

Why it matters in the UK

The US debate is being watched by hemp and CBD businesses internationally. In the UK, CBD products are legal to sell subject to the Food Standards Agency’s novel food rules and strict limits on controlled cannabinoids such as THC.