Uh oh…more trouble for hemp businesses?
March 2, 2026
Some context
The past several months have been causing nothing but headaches for hemp businesses. This all started after the federal government announced a closure of 2018 Farm Bill loopholes that had allowed the hemp industry to flourish across the country, effectively banning many types of intoxicating hemp products and dampening (at best) or obliterating the hemp industry.
There has been a push to resolve this issue given that the effective ban goes into effect at the end of 2026, but recent updates at a federal level may be putting an end to this.
Most recent news
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson said that amendments to delay this hemp ban for an additional year aren’t relevant to the committee’s work. What this means is that there is a greater likelihood of the hemp ban occurring by the end of 2026 than initially expected or hoped.
The federal government (from the FDA to the DOJ) has repeatedly missed key deadlines for both hemp and cannabis efforts. This paints a picture of an administration seemingly confused about its own stance on intoxicating hemp products and cannabis rescheduling.
What can you do?
What are hemp businesses to do now with all this uncertainty? Turn to the states.
Virginia is probably the best possible case-study for hemp businesses right now from a timeline perspective. As a hemp business operating in the Commonwealth, hemp businesses can enter the state’s upcoming legal cannabis marketplace and expand operations, ensuring continuous work for months and years ahead.
Not sure where to begin or feeling worried about MSOs coming in to take precious few licenses from longstanding hemp businesses like your own? Reach out to Square Deal.
We at Square Deal have a proven track record of supporting hemp businesses in their transition to the cannabis industry. Crucially, we strategize with you to see the best paths forward and work together to identify how you can secure the ideal license(s) to bolster your businesses success and likelihood of operational readiness. We can’t eliminate all the stress with getting a cannabis license, but we can ensure you’re putting your best foot forward and greatly improving the odds.
Contact Square Deal today to learn more and get started, because timing is crucial.