New hemp legislation has been introduced designed to address unresolved issues associated with the 2018 Farm Bill, including THC limits.
Hemp has been legal in the USA since the 2018 Farm Bill and is defined as Cannabis sativa L. with a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3 percent by dry weight. Above 0.3 percent and cannabis is considered marijuana, which remains illegal at a federal level.
This poses a number of challenges for the country’s hemp farmers. It restricts the choice of varieties they can grow, and even among particularly lower THC strains there is the risk of crops going “hot”, meaning the crop needs to be destroyed. Depending on the circumstances, a farmer may also face criminal charges.