Takeaways

  • Congress has delayed many of the new federal restrictions on hemp-derived THC products from November 12 to December 11, 2026, following enactment of H.R. 6500.
  • The delay does not appear to apply uniformly, meaning some cannabinoid products could face changes in federal treatment beginning November 12, 2026.
  • The new definition also targets hemp-derived cannabinoid products involving cannabinoids synthesized or manufactured outside the cannabis plant, potentially affecting many products currently sold nationwide.

Last week, as part of a continuing resolution to extend the federal budget until after the election, Congress voted to delay implementation of substantial changes concerning hemp until December 11, 2026. The “CR” was promptly signed into law by President Trump.

The CR does not make any substantive changes to the budget bill that ended the federal government shutdown last fall, and that included provisions to dramatically alter provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill surrounding intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products. In an answer to the proliferation of intoxicating hemp-derived products that have flooded the market, Congress made significant changes to the definition of hemp:

Continue Reading Federal Intoxicating Hemp Ban Changes Pushed Back Until December 11, 2026

Paraphrasing Whitesnake, “Here we go again on our own!”

Michigan cannabis growers need no reminding that by this time last year, the Michigan House of Representatives had passed a road funding plan, and members were tripping over themselves to say it wouldn’t require any tax increases. At the eleventh hour, though, with the cannabis industry hanging on the promises of no new taxes, everything changed. The House threw a 24% wholesale tax on marijuana into a bill that didn’t even mention the industry, and, wasting no more time (not even a single committee hearing), rammed it through.

Continue Reading Hey, Michigan Growers! Legislators Want More Taxes!

NOTE: After the publication of this post, Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced that it will have a second public hearing and comment period before finalizing its draft rules and sending them to the Legislature for review. CRA has not yet announced a date for the hearing. Given that CRA’s request for rulemaking was approved more than three years ago, and that there are just seven months until the next Michigan Governor takes office, it’s reasonable to question whether the currently proposed revisions will ever take effect.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been nearly three years since the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced that it was seeking stakeholder feedback on proposed changes to its administrative rule sets. The process started in May 2023, with CRA releasing a list of topics and proposed changes to the rules that it was considering. After receiving and considering a substantial amount of comments and stakeholder feedback, CRA then proceeded to undertake a comprehensive rewriting of its administrative rules.

Continue Reading “Final” Draft CRA Rules Are Published

On April 23, 2026, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the Justice Department ordered the rescheduling of marijuana products that are FDA-approved or regulated by a state medical marijuana program. These products will move from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). Today’s order also creates an expedited DEA registration framework for state-licensed medical marijuana businesses.

We previously covered President Trump’s December 18, 2025, executive order to fast-track rescheduling. But news had been quiet on rescheduling for months, making today’s groundbreaking announcement, while welcome, a bit unexpected. In this post, we quickly highlight what today’s DOJ order does and does not do, and we look ahead at what’s to come.

Continue Reading Breaking Down the Groundbreaking Rescheduling Of Medical Marijuana To Schedule III

Michigan licensees—DO NOT MISS A MAJOR CHANGE IN WHOLESALE TAX ADMINISTRATION!

The first payments for Michigan’s new wholesale are due, ironically, on April 20.  As we previously reported, FAQs published by the Michigan Department of Treasury just a few weeks ago announced that product transferred to a retailer before the tax took effect on…