Event: Washington, D.C. — Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest patient-focused medical cannabis organization, will host a briefing on November 14 in response to Congress clarifying hemp definitions in the recent “minibus” spending bill.

Washington, D.C. — Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest patient-focused medical cannabis organization, will host a briefing on November 14 in response to Congress clarifying hemp definitions in the recent “minibus” spending bill.

The new language closes a loophole in the 2018 Hemp Bill that allowed an unregulated market of intoxicating hemp products to proliferate — a problem states have struggled to control for years. While much of the media has inaccurately framed the change as a “ban on hemp,” the provisions instead incorporate the “Miller Amendment” language first seen in last year’s Farm Bill draft that was passed in the House version of the Agriculture Appropriations Bill, adding new definitions for “industrial hemp” and “hemp-derived products.” These provisions will take effect 365 days after passage.

For many patients, however, this will come as a shock. Hemp-derived “full-spectrum” products — often purchased online — have become their primary source of cannabinoid therapy, especially in states without functioning medical cannabis programs or in markets where patients must compete with adult-use consumers. Although manufacturers have long assured patients that these products were legal, the DEA has maintained its position on their illegality since their arrival on the market, creating 7 years of confusion, mixed messaging, and inconsistent enforcement.

“From a pharmacological standpoint, the ‘hemp products’ patients are taking to treat medical conditions are medical cannabis,” said Dr. Codi Peterson, PharmD, pediatric pharmacist and cannabis science educator. “Patients chose hemp products because they were told they were legal — and like medical cannabis, they worked. The hemp market filled a gap that our medical cannabis laws left wide open. These changes highlight how urgently we need consistent, science-based medical access pathways — not patchwork solutions driven by politics.”

Leading up to the government shutdown, the fate of hemp-derived products seemed uncertain. Although the House Agriculture Committee voted to close the hemp loophole, the Senate version removed the language at the last minute through an amendment by Senator Rand Paul. However, a letter signed by a bipartisan group of 39 Attorneys General on October 24^th, urging congressional action, all but sealed the inclusion of clarifying definitions in the final minibus language.

The shift is catching many patient communities off guard, as they believed their access to these products was protected under federal hemp laws. Subsequently, on Saturday, November 15th, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), Realm of Caring, and Veterans Initiative 22 will hold an Emergency Town Hall: “The Hemp Shockwave: What It Means for Patients & Safe Access,” to answer patients’ questions, discuss real-world impacts, and outline actionable advocacy strategies to protect safe access to cannabinoid medicines.

“Many patients stopped fighting for medical cannabis reform because they thought they had found their solution in online access to hemp-derived products,” said Steph Sherer, ASA Founder and Executive Director. “Millions of others had no idea that full-spectrum CBD is, in fact, medical cannabis — or that their access was even in question. It’s important to understand how we got here to ensure patients don’t fall down this rabbit hole again. It’s time for patients and allies to come back together to demand a real, lasting medical cannabis framework that serves people — not another set of loopholes.”

Experts at ASA’s briefing will clarify what these policies actually mean for patients today, tomorrow, and a year from now — and outline urgent policy solutions to protect medical cannabis access at both the state and federal levels.

“Without clear patient protections, millions risk losing access to products they thought they could depend on,” added Dr. Leigh Vinocur, cannabis expert and emergency physician. “It’s time for lawmakers to put patients first and create a coherent, federally recognized medical cannabis framework that supports safety, transparency, and therapeutic integrity. Also, states should act now to ensure patients can find these products safely through regulated medical cannabis programs rather than unregulated or disappearing markets.”

In addition to patient implications, experts will examine how the hemp and cannabis markets arrived at this point and why it is time for federal policymakers to address medical cannabis access directly.

“Congress’ clarification sheds light on the exploited line between hemp and medical cannabis — and in doing so, exposes the cracks in our policy foundation,” said Pamela N. Epstein, Esq., Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer at Terpene Belt. “Unfortunately, there is a real disconnect between soundbites and federal lobbying directives for many of the companies in this market.”

Attendees will learn:

What happened on Capitol Hill — from appropriations debates to the final “minibus” version — and how the hemp lobby prioritized intoxicating hemp over patient access.

The legislative history from the 2018 Farm Bill to the 2025 minibus and implications for state and federal reform.

The pharmacology of hemp-derived products used by patients, the limits of the “perceived” legal hemp market, and gaps in existing medical programs.

The dangers of unregulated markets and steps states can take now to ensure patient access within regulated systems.

Event: Washington, D.C. — Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the nation’s largest patient-focused medical cannabis organization, will host a briefing on November 14 in response to Congress clarifying hemp definitions in the recent “minibus” spending bill.

Attendees will learn:

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