Senate Acts to Postpone Hemp Ban and Prevent Government Shutdown
WHO:
Marijuana Moment - Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) argued that the availability of intoxicating hemp products poses a "public health crisis" and stated, "I am appalled at the well-oiled, slick lobbying machine... that has chosen to wage this surreptitious war against our efforts to protect American children."
Marijuana Moment - A bipartisan coalition of 35 state and territory attorneys general sent a letter calling on Congress not to reverse the hemp THC product ban.
Deseret News - Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis voted in favor of the measure.
Marijuana Moment - Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) opposed the delay of the hemp ban and was supported by several Republican senators.
Marijuana Moment - Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director Mehmet Oz expressed concern about the amendment.
Marijuana Moment - White House Director of Legislative Affairs James Braid committed that there would be no further extensions of the hemp ban’s effective date.
WHAT:
Marijuana Moment - The Senate passed the underlying funding bill that includes the language to delay the ban by a vote of 90-6.
Marijuana Moment - The amendment to strip provisions from the spending bill was defeated after 61 senators voted to table the proposal.
Deseret News - The Senate approved a bipartisan resolution to extend government funding, passing with a vote of 90-6.
Deseret News - The federal funding deadline was delayed from Oct. 1 to Dec. 11.
Marijuana Moment - The Senate rejected an amendment to ensure hemp THC products are federally recriminalized on time.
Marijuana Moment - The Senate passed the funding bill that includes a delay of the hemp product ban until Dec. 11.
WHERE:
Deseret News - The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
Deseret News - The federal ban on intoxicating hemp products was set to take effect in November.
Deseret News - The spending resolution must be approved by the House before it can be signed by Trump.
Marijuana Moment - The planned prohibition on most hemp products is delayed until Dec. 11.
WHY:
Marijuana Moment - The White House pushed back on the idea that the president's support for keeping hemp products legal is intended to benefit the son-in-law of Trump’s chief of staff, stating that the administration's advocacy is in "the best interest of the American people."
Deseret News - The extension aims to avoid another government shutdown fight ahead of the midterm elections.
Marijuana Moment - Industry supporters hope the delay will give them more time to convince Congress to craft regulations instead of prohibition.
Marijuana Moment - Budd argued that the availability of intoxicating hemp products poses a public health crisis.
HOW:
Deseret News - The Senate overcame a disagreement over language included at the request of the White House that threatened to derail the spending resolution despite it being on a smooth path to passage just earlier that week.
Deseret News - The Senate overcame a disagreement over language included at the request of the White House that threatened to derail the spending resolution.
Marijuana Moment - The Senate adopted a motion to table Budd's amendment by a vote of 61-32.
(UPDATED August 9, 2026 07:16 UTC)
Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina has raised concerns about the availability of intoxicating hemp products, labeling it a "public health crisis" and criticizing the lobbying efforts against protecting American children. In a decisive move, the Senate passed a funding bill to delay the hemp THC product ban with a vote of 90 to 6, while a bipartisan coalition of 35 state and territory attorneys general urged Congress to maintain the ban. The White House defended its stance on keeping hemp products legal, asserting that the administration's actions are in "the best interest of the American people," despite earlier tensions over the language in the spending resolution.
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(UPDATED August 9, 2026 06:36 UTC)
The Senate has approved a bipartisan resolution to extend government funding, passing with a decisive vote of ninety to six, which delays the federal funding deadline from October 1 to December 11. In a related decision, the Senate rejected an amendment aimed at ensuring the timely recriminalization of hemp THC products, while also confirming that the ban on most hemp products will now take effect on December 11. White House Director of Legislative Affairs James Braid has assured that there will be no further extensions of the hemp ban’s effective date, as industry supporters hope this delay will provide them with more time to advocate for regulations instead of outright prohibition.