USA: new bill to raise THC limit in hemp to 1%

New hemp legislation has been introduced in the United States to address the limitations associated with the Farm Bill of 2018, including the THC limits set at 0.3%.

This threshold, just restored in Europe, poses a number of challenges for American hemp producers. While the selection of varieties is limited, the greatest risk is exceeding the THC limit, which could result in having to destroy the crop or even face criminal prosecution.

The issue of a temporary increase in the THC content during the processing of hemp into a final product with a THC content below 0.3% is also being set aside for now

Hemp Advancement Act of 2022

Earlier this week, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree introduced the Hemp Advancement Act of 2022, which aims to improve the provisions of the Farm Bill from 2018 regarding hemp.

«I would like to introduce The Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 »to eliminate unreasonable testing requirements, set reasonable THC thresholds for growers and processors while protecting consumers, and end the discriminatory policy that bars people with drug convictions from growing legal hemp," said Rep. Pingree.

This law would raise the THC threshold to 1 % authorized for hemp and hemp extracts currently being processed. It also provides additional safeguards for the processing and transport of hemp that may have exceeded the THC limit due to overly favorable growing conditions, and eliminates the monopoly on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on the registration of hemp testing laboratories and repeals the ban on most individuals with a drug conviction from obtaining a hemp license.

In addition, the law would revise the legal THC threshold for consumable hemp products from 0.3% of delta-9 THC to 0.3% of total THC, thereby addressing the’the thorny issue of delta-8 THC.

The Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 Pingree has already garnered significant support within the industry, particularly from the Hemp Roundtable, one of the leading lobbying groups focused on hemp.

«We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Chellie Pingree for her strong leadership in advancing this legislation on behalf of hemp producers, processors, and consumers across the country,» the organization said.