A GOP Congresswoman Launches Push To Block Newly Enacted Federal Hemp THC Ban And Pledges A Yearlong Fight To Stop It From Taking Effect

In the wake of President Donald Trump signing a sweeping federal spending package that contains a broad ban on hemp-derived THC products, one Republican lawmaker is moving quickly to stop the policy from ever taking effect.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is circulating draft legislation that would strike the hemp provision from the newly enacted appropriations bill—arguing that the language would effectively wipe out the vast majority of the nation’s hemp marketplace and devastate farmers and small businesses.

Her bill, titled “The American Hemp Protection Act of 2025,” aims to repeal the section that hemp advocates say poses an existential threat: a clause that would ban any ingestible hemp product containing a “quantifiable” amount of THC. Stakeholders warn that the provision slipped into the final spending package—would outlaw 90 to 95 percent of hemp products currently sold, including most non-intoxicating CBD items.

Despite a recent public post praising CBD and years of professed support for cannabis states’ rights, Trump signed the spending bill without addressing the hemp ban, prompting immediate outcry from across the hemp and cannabinoid industries.

Mace Warns of “Fatal Blow” to Farmers and Small Businesses

In comments submitted to the Congressional Record last week, Mace issued a stark warning about the implications of the new law.

She said Section 781 of the spending bill would “deal a fatal blow to American farmers supplying the regulated hemp industry and small businesses and jeopardize tens of billions of dollars in economic activity.”

Mace argued that the 2018 Farm Bill—which Trump signed during his first term—successfully established a functional federal framework for hemp, and that in the absence of federal regulation on consumable products, the industry has stepped up with “a common-sense” self-regulatory model.

According to Mace, that model includes:

• Restricting sales to adults 21+,
• Standardized packaging to prevent youth-targeted products,
• Strong labeling requirements, and
• Mandatory third-party lab testing.

“They have been asking Congress to pass legislation to responsibly regulate their industry,” she said.

Industry Wants Regulation Not Prohibition

While Mace’s bill would stop the ban from taking effect next year, it would not establish the regulatory framework that many industry experts insist is urgently needed.

Stakeholders told Marijuana Moment that they are concerned the bill, as drafted, merely blocks the prohibition without solving the underlying regulatory challenges that have emerged since hemp was legalized in 2018 including the rise of semi-synthetic intoxicating cannabinoids.

Bipartisan lawmakers in both the House and Senate are reportedly working on comprehensive hemp regulatory proposals expected before year’s end.

Mace Condemns “Prohibitionists” and Says The Fight Is Just Beginning

Mace did not respond to a request for comment, but her statement in the Congressional Record made clear she intends to spend the next year pushing to reverse the ban.

She criticized lawmakers who inserted the hemp language into a must-pass government funding package, saying they forced members to choose “between voting their conscience on hemp and paying our military service members.” She called the maneuver “wrong.”

Mace argued that prohibition would simply empower illicit markets and undermine consumer safety—echoing long-standing criticisms of the broader drug war.

Broader Cannabis Reform Still Uncertain

Mace, who has been a vocal advocate for cannabis reform, has not yet reintroduced her States Reform Act, a comprehensive federal marijuana legalization bill she previously touted as the best path forward.

She has also challenged a GOP policy memo urging Republican lawmakers to oppose cannabis banking reforms and her own CURE Act, which addresses marijuana-related security clearance denials.

As the hemp ban sets the stage for a high-stakes policy showdown over the next year, advocates, lawmakers, and industry leaders are preparing for an intense legislative battle with Mace positioning herself at the forefront of the effort to protect hemp businesses nationwide.

OG source Download Article