Congress – Smoke Master https://smoke.vmondeika.com The ultimate smoking source Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:21:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.1 https://smoke.vmondeika.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/cropped-SMG_logo_favicon-32x32.png Congress – Smoke Master https://smoke.vmondeika.com 32 32 Congress Agrees to Delay Federal Hemp Ban by One Month https://smoke.vmondeika.com/congress-agrees-to-delay-federal-hemp-ban-by-one-month/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:21:12 +0000 https://smoke.vmondeika.com/congress-agrees-to-delay-federal-hemp-ban-by-one-month/

The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted 370-48 to approve a bipartisan funding bill that contains language delaying the federal ban on most hemp cannabinoid products until December 11, The Hill reports.

The proposal was already approved by the Senate last month and is now heading to the president’s desk for his signature.

Hemp products that contain cannabinoids “not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant” are not affected by the one-month delay and will become prohibited starting November 12.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D), who originally introduced the legislation alongside Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), cheered the bipartisan approval as “good news for Minnesota’s farmers, brewers, small businesses, and customers.”

“The President should sign this bipartisan bill into law immediately. This delay will give Minnesota hemp’s producers, retailers, and customers certainty, and give Congress more time to get to a long-term fix.” — Klobuchar, in a statement

“This extension gives us one additional month, and we intend to make every day count,” the U.S. Hemp Roundtable said in a press release. “We will continue working with lawmakers and stakeholders to advance a comprehensive federal framework that protects consumers, prevents youth access to intoxicating products, provides certainty for farmers and businesses, and preserves access to lawful hemp products.”

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New Bipartisan Bill In Congress Would Keep Hemp THC Drinks Federally Legal And Regulated Like Alcohol https://smoke.vmondeika.com/new-bipartisan-bill-in-congress-would-keep-hemp-thc-drinks-federally-legal-and-regulated-like-alcohol/ Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:39:59 +0000 https://smoke.vmondeika.com/new-bipartisan-bill-in-congress-would-keep-hemp-thc-drinks-federally-legal-and-regulated-like-alcohol/

A bipartisan duo of lawmakers have filed a new bill in Congress that would exempt hemp beverages from a currently scheduled ban on THC products derived from the plant.

The legislation’s introductions comes days after the Senate voted to delay the planned recriminalization of hemp, which is intended to give lawmakers more time to craft regulations as an alternative to prohibition.

The Beverage Regulatory Parity Act, from Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH), introduced on Monday, would establish a three-tier system for distribution of hemp drinks, similar to the model currently used for alcohol. It would allow adults over 21 to purchase and consume hemp THC beverages with up to 5 milligrams of total intoxicating THC per serving.

A draft version of the hemp drinks legislation obtained earlier this year by Marijuana Moment would have used a more permissive limit that measured delta-9 THC specifically.

Under the bill as introduced, there would be a new federal tax on hemp drinks of 8 cents per milligram of intoxicating THC—a reduction from the 10 cents contemplated in the earlier draft measure.

Hemp drinks would be regulated by the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with requirements for testing, packaging, labeling and serving and container sizes.

“I’ve heard directly from people across North Texas who consume hemp-derived beverages, and businesses who sell them, that they need clarity, not a ban that pushes this market underground,” Van Duyne said in a press release. “The Beverage Regulatory Parity Act brings long-overdue certainty to the industry by regulating these beverages with the same proven structure that has successfully governed alcohol for decades.”

“I am glad to introduce this bipartisan legislation alongside Rep. Greg Landsman, because American families and responsible businesses deserve structure and sensible regulations that protect children while allowing adults to choose beverages they prefer,” she said.

Landsman, for his part, said that “there are people all over Southwest Ohio who have invested significantly in these products, and they’ve done so safely.”

“Now the federal government is telling them they can’t sell these products anymore,” he said. “Our bill is bipartisan and very straightforward. It will keep people safe and let these folks stay in business.”


Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.


Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

Under the new bill, legal beverages could only contain naturally-occurring cannabinoids that are cultivated and processed within the U.S.

Manufactures, wholesales and sellers of hemp drinks would be required to obtain federal permits.

Companies could not sell multi-serving containers larger than 750 milliliters under the legislation.

The legislation further clarifies that states, Indian tribes and localities could set regulations that are “more stringent” than federal rules, but says that they could not prohibit the shipment or transportation of hemp beverages through their borders on the way to other jurisdictions.

Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will remain legal after November 12.

The Senate over the weekend, however, approved a funding bill that includes a provision to delay the effective date of the ban until December 11. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) had filed an amendment to strip that language and keep the prohibition on track as scheduled, but the body approved a motion to table the proposal from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in a vote of 61-32.

The House of Representatives, which previously passed a separate funding bill that does not include language to extend the hemp ban’s effective date, is scheduled to return from its recess on August 31.

The new hemp drinks bill is being supported by some members of the alcohol industry.

“For nearly a century, the alcohol regulatory system has kept consumers safe while giving legitimate businesses clear rules to operate under. Rep. Van Duyne’s bill extends that same proven framework to hemp-derived beverages,” Dawson Hobbs, executive vice president of government affairs forWine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), said. “WSWA is proud to support this legislation and thanks the congresswoman for her leadership in addressing products that have grown in popularity and are already on store shelves. We urge Congress to act before the November 12 deadline eliminates responsible options from the marketplace entirely.”

Total Wine & More said the bill “brings low-dose hemp-infused beverages into the same three-tier system that has safely regulated beer, wine and spirits for decades.”

“This framework, with licensed manufacturers, distributors and retailers, along with age verification, testing and labeling standards, is a smart way to protect consumers while giving responsible businesses certainty,” the company said.

John Bodnovich, executive director of American Beverage Licensees, said the legislation is a “thoughtful and serious approach to regulating hemp beverages in the United States.”

“Licensed beverage retailers have been consistent in calling for a safe, well-regulated, and accountable marketplace for hemp beverages, just as they have supported the effective system of state-based alcohol regulation that promotes public safety and responsibility while meeting consumer needs,” he said.

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Hawaii Senate Votes To Ask Congress To Federally Legalize Marijuana https://smoke.vmondeika.com/hawaii-senate-votes-to-ask-congress-to-federally-legalize-marijuana/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:31:52 +0000 https://smoke.vmondeika.com/hawaii-senate-votes-to-ask-congress-to-federally-legalize-marijuana/

The Hawaii Senate has passed a pair of resolutions calling on Congress to federally legalize marijuana, support state efforts to clear people’s conviction records and take steps to facilitate access to banking services for companies in the cannabis industry.

“Even though states have made significant policy changes with respect to cannabis, the federal Controlled Substances Act still classifies cannabis as a Schedule I substance,” the measures that were approved in 20-5 votes by the Senate on Thursday say, “which means that medical cannabis dispensaries and other cannabis-related businesses continue to face the prospect of federal seizures, forfeitures, arrests, and other enforcement and prosecution actions.”

The legal recreational cannabis industry could generate more than $1 billion in sales in Hawaii by its fifth year of operation, according to a recent state-commissioned study, the resolutions point out.

Current medical marijuana businesses in the state “are hampered by their inability to obtain the full spectrum of private banking services under federal law,” the measures sponsored by Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D) say, adding that “arrests and convictions for cannabis possession remain on record and often impact the ability of a person to obtain housing and employment.”

SR58 and SCR64 call on Congress to:

(1) Remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act;

(2) Provide support to states that are in the process of clearing defendants’ records of cannabis offenses; and

(3) Facilitate access to the full spectrum of banking services for cannabis-related businesses.




The resolutions were approved last week by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which had amended them from their originally introduced form to remove provisions that had noted that alcohol and tobacco don’t fall under the Controlled Substances Act, “even though the regular use of those substances often leads to physical injuries, psychological and social harm, the onset of chronic and fatal illnesses, and other negative impacts on individual and public health.”

Sen. Karl Rhoads (D), the chair of the committee, said that the arguments about other substances “seem irrelevant” to the marijuana resolutions.

The concurrent resolution now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. The separate Senate resolution simply expresses the sense of that body and requires no further action. It will now be transmitted to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, as well as the top Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and each member of Hawaii’s congressional delegation. The concurrent resolution will take the same path if approved by the House.

Last week, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee adopted separate resolutions calling on the state attorney general and health department to request an exemption from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) stipulating that Hawaii is permitted to run its medical cannabis program without federal interference.


Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.


Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

Although Hawaii senators recently approved a bill to legalize low-dose and low-potency marijuana, the legislation didn’t advance through required steps before a key deadline, and so it is dead for the year.

A separate marijuana legalization bill that contained provisions making the reform contingent on changes to federal law or the state Constitution, SB 2421, was deferred for action. Both Senate and House panels additionally deferred action on a measure to allow for the sale of certain hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

Those actions comes after key House lawmakers signaled that cannabis legalization proposals would not be advancing in the 2026 session, citing a lack of sufficient support in their chamber.

Last month, a Hawaii Senate committee separately passed legislation to allow patients to immediately access medical cannabis once their registrations are submitted, instead of having to wait until their cards are delivered as is the case under current law.

Meanwhile, another Hawaii House committee last week approved a Senate-passed bill that would create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying and making policy recommendations on providing access to breakthrough therapies such as psilocybin and MDMA.

Legislation to allow qualifying patients to access medical marijuana at health facilities also advanced this session.

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