US Hemp Roundtable: Bill Updates in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Ohio

SB 237, which would have put hemp beverages under Alcoholic Beverage Control, was rejected in committee! We continue to monitor three other bills in the state.

Arizona – Oppose Beverage Bill! 
SB 1556, which we’ve previously reported on, has been amended to effectively ban all hemp products that are not beverages. Oppose this bill!

Arkansas – Two Major Bills:

SB 455 establishes clear hemp regulations, including age restrictions and packaging standards. Support this bill!
SB 533 would effectively eliminate the hemp market by capping consumable hemp products at 1mg per container. Oppose this bill!

Kentucky – SB 202 Signed into Law

Governor Beshear signed SB 202, regulating cannabis-infused beverages like alcohol. While a proposed hemp beverage ban was rejected, the law places a 5mg THC cap per serving.

Montana – Extreme THC Limits Looming

HB 49, which caps THC at 0.5mg per serving and 2mg per package, has passed the legislature and is heading to the governor’s desk. Tell Governor Gianforte to veto this bill!

Nevada – Dangerous Hemp Ban Proposed

SB 356 would ban consumable hemp products with any detectable THC. Oppose this bill! 

New Mexico – HB 346 Threatens Hemp Products

This bill would ban semi-synthetic cannabinoids like converted Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC. Tell Governor Lujan Grisham to veto HB 346!

Ohio – A New, More Reasonable Bill Introduced

A new bill, HB 198, presents a better approach to hemp regulation—calling for licensing, proper labeling, independent testing, and 21+ sales instead of extreme THC limits proposed in other bills.  We applaud its introduction and look forward to working with the legislature to advance regulation, not prohibition, of the hemp industry.

Learn more about hemp legislation in each state and take action below!

If you live or own a business in Alabama, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today. 

Currently SB 1556 would redefine industrial hemp to exclude any product made to be ingested except Adult Hemp Beverages.

The bill’s definition changes mean that tinctures, gummies, and capsules made with hemp-derived cannabinoids would no longer be legal.

Current businesses selling hemp-derived products (outside of beverages) would lose access to legal sales. This jeopardizes small business, farmers, and consumer access to hemp products in Arizona.

If you live or own a business in Arizona, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today. 

The bill defines “hemp product” as any product derived from or containing hemp, including without limitation oils, extracts, delta-8, tetrahydrocannabinol, delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol, and other hemp-derived cannabinoids. The bill mandates that retail hemp products must not exceed 50 milligrams of hemp-derived cannabinoids per serving in the aggregate of one or more hemp-derived cannabinoids.

Additionally, hemp products must be packaged in child-resistant containers that adhere to specific labeling requirements. 

Unfortunately, Arkansas also saw the recent introduction of SB 533, which regulates the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of consumable hemp products in Arkansas and charges the Tobacco Control Board with the regulation of consumable hemp products. SB 533 would virtually eliminate the entire hemp market by limiting consumable hemp product to 1mg per container. Please use our state action center to urge lawmakers to oppose the bill.

If you live or own a business in Arkansas, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today in opposition of SB 533, and in support of SB 455. 

In Montana, as we previously alerted, HB 49 sets THC limits of 0.5mg per serving and 2mg per package for hemp products. The bill has now passed the House and the Senate and is headed to the governor’s desk.

If you live or own a business in Montana, please use our state action center below to contact Governor Greg Gianforte to veto HB49.

If you live or own a business in Nevada, please use our state action center below to contact your legislators today in opposition of SB 356. 

If you live or own a business in New Mexico, please use our state action center below to contact Governor Lujan Grisham to veto HB 346.

In response, a variety of advocates, including members of the Hemp Roundtable, have been encouraging a different approach that would increase regulations and age restrict hemp products, preserving rather than killing the hemp industry.

We are pleased to report that the message is catching on and this week a new bill was introduced that is much more in line with that regulatory approach, eliminating these arbitrary THC limits and calling for licensure, proper labeling, independent testing and restricting sales of hemp products to those 21 and over.

HB 198 is just a start, but it’s a critical component to developing a new dialogue around hemp products in Ohio, with many members of the majority party in the Ohio House joining on as co-sponsors.

The USHR will continue to fight for access to all hemp products – and continued direct-to-consumer commerce — as the House and Senate debate these different approaches to hemp regulation in Ohio. Ohio should not force hemp products into dispensaries.

While more work needs to be done, HB 198 offers a regulatory framework that supports more consumer access and broader availability of hemp products through traditional retail channels. We need to let the legislature know that hemp regulation, not bans or dispensary-only policies, is the best way to support and maintain the hemp industry in Ohio.

Ohio Hemp Supporters are encouraged to use our State Action Center to email legislators to defeat hemp retail ban bills and applaud the introduction of HB 198.