Congress mulling bill opponents say would ban hemp in the US

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has sounded the alarm that language inserted into a routine spending bill could effectively end the production of hemp in the U.S.

The bill would restrict the varieties of hemp that could be grown in the U.S. by redefining hemp as varieties of the cannabis plant that do not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound associated with marijuana, or other cannabinoids “that have similar effects.” The bill is stalled pending negotiations to end the U.S. government shutdown.