Hemp & the Continuing Resolution

Glenn McElfresh, VP Government Affairs. August 4, 2026 4:42 pm CT.

A one-month extension for hemp is in the Senate's continuing resolution (CR). Language like that does not get drafted into a bipartisan funding bill by leadership that wants the November 12 ban to land as scheduled. Congress had every opportunity to leave it out.

Outside of Congress, the delay drew support from BAMCO, the retail coalition whose members include Total Wine & More, BevMo, and ABC Fine Wine & Spirits. They want the extra time spent building a federal framework for low-dose hemp THC beverages. When retailers with that much shelf space tell Congress they want to keep selling the category, that carries weight.

The CR cleared its first procedural vote Monday night, 89 to 4. Three steps remain: final Senate passage expected this week, then the House, then the President's desk. While there is organized opposition at every step, lawmakers in both chambers and both parties are circulating bills that would regulate this category rather than end it.

An extension is on the board. We have work to do to protect it, and to build on it.

Congress goes home at the end of this week for its summer recess. During those five weeks, members are more reachable than they are the rest of the year, and as an industry we should take advantage of that local access to continue outreach and education. Volume matters here, so we urge you to do three things.

Message your consumers. They are constituents in districts you are not, and they can amplify your company's reach.

Call on your vendors, distributors, and retail partners. Not all of them are aware of the stakes or the implications of this looming ban.

Meet your federal and state elected officials while they are in district.

We go through the details on our government affairs webinar every other Tuesday. Reach out to hello@perfectlydosed.com if you want on the invite list.

Thanks for the work you have already put in. The industry takes all of us, and we are closer to the federal regulatory certainty we always knew was possible.