One component of the bill signed Nov. 12 by President Donald Trump to end the government shutdown will ban many THC-infused products.
The government shutdown, which was the longest in U.S. history, ended after 43 days when the bill was signed by the president on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The end of the shutdown also brought an end to threats to food aid programs and paychecks missed by thousands of federal workers.
However, some items included on the bill left many dissatisfied, including the closing of a loophole that has allowed the sale of certain hemp products nationwide for years.
Here’s what we know about the changes coming to the U.S. hemp industry following the end of the government shutdown.
Brian Bullman, co-owner of Carolina Hemp Company, holds a handful of hemp flower on Oct. 31, 2018.
Is the government shutdown over?
Yes, the government shutdown is officially over after 43 days. Trump signed a bill late on Wednesday night, Nov. 12, to fund the government through Jan. 30, 2026.
More: Did the government shutdown end? Here’s what to know for Nov. 13.
Is hemp being banned in the U.S.?
Hemp and marijuana are both derived from the cannabis plant. However, hemp contains lower amounts of THC, the compound that makes people high. The 2018 farm bill allowed THC products derived from hemp to be sold across the country, a loophole that led to years of booming sales.
Beginning Nov. 13, 2026, hemp-derived cannabinoid products will be federally illegal. USA TODAY reported that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, argued on the Senate floor Monday that the new regulations included in the shutdown-ending funding package would be akin to “prohibition.”
Senators split unevenly across party lines for and against the measure. Ultimately, the new rule was kept in the bill. The regulations will take effect in 2026, though given the one-year delay, Congress could feasibly debate the issue further.
Will THCA be banned federally? Will delta 8 THC be banned?
Yes, THCA and delta-8 THC, along with other hemp-derived cannabinoid products, will be federally illegal beginning Nov. 13, 2026.
Cannabis Business Times, a website that focuses on the business of selling legal cannabis, summarized the bill’s text, explaining that any products containing the following will be banned:
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Cannabinoids that are synthesized or manufactured outside the plant (delta-8 THC)
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Cannabinoids that are not capable of being naturally produced by the plant (HHC)
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More than 0.3% total THC (including THCA) or other cannabinoids with similar effects
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More than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Will THCA be banned federally? Will delta 8 THC be banned? What we know
