URGENT: The Senate Could Vote Today on Hemp Amendment

The Senate is likely to consider an amendment today to strip critical language from the government funding legislation that would extend the deadline on legal hemp products into December. NACS needs your help. Tell your Senators to oppose this amendment.

You can take action now by sending an email to your Senators using this link.

The Senate is working to pass a short-term government funding bill to prevent another federal government shutdown at the end of September. Included in that bill is a provision that would delay implementation of a pending ban on most currently legal hemp products from November 12 to December 11. This delay is critical. It gives Congress additional time to complete ongoing work towards finalizing a responsible regulatory framework for these products that both protects youth and allows natural hemp products to remain available in the marketplace.

Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) has proposed an amendment to strip that hemp delay language from the overall bill. If adopted, the delay would be eliminated and the November 12 deadline would remain in place.

It is important to note that the hemp delay language in the continuing resolution applies only to naturally occurring products. Dangerous synthetic products, including many that are sourced from overseas, will still be removed from the market on November 12.  Prohibiting all hemp-derived products containing more than 0.4 mg per container will also ban many non-intoxicating low dose products used by many Americans for therapeutic purposes. 

History has proven that prohibition of popular products does not work. Eliminating legal products without establishing a responsible regulatory and licensing framework risks pushing consumers toward an unregulated black market. This could make these products less safe and potentially more accessible to children. 

NACS agrees that protecting children must be a priority. That is why we support a responsible regulatory approach that will keep these products in safe, regulated marketplaces and out of the hands of children. 

The Senate could vote as soon as this afternoon. 

Please take a few minutes to contact your Senators now and urge them to oppose the amendment and protect the additional time Congress needs to develop a responsible regulatory framework. 

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