The immediate issue is the President’s signature. Until H.R. 6500 becomes law, the existing November 12 effective date remains in place. After that, the hemp industry will have approximately one additional month to persuade Congress to do something more substantial.

November 12, 2026 is coming quickly. We hope that Congress will move the date, but you should not build your compliance plan around that possibility.

If the marijuana industry succeeds in eliminating hemp rather than improving cannabis policy, it may discover that it did not actually win the Cannabis Civil War. It merely helped rebuild the walls of prohibition, and consumers will be the first people trapped behind them.

North Carolina’s hemp industry appears to have avoided disaster, at least for the time being.

Representatives Andy Barr of Kentucky and Angie Craig of Minnesota introduced the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, a comprehensive bill that would repeal the hemp-killing provisions Congress enacted last year and replace them with a federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

On July 16, 2026, 17 Senators reintroduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, commonly called the “CAOA.” The bill would remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act, establish a new federal regulatory and tax system, expunge certain federal cannabis convictions, expand access to banking and Small Business Administration programs, and direct substantial federal revenue toward communities harmed by cannabis prohibition. 

North Carolina is facing a hemp apocalypse if the state’s House votes in favor of HB 328. Notably, the bill expressly prohibits CBD, and any other non-delta 9 THC molecules, in hemp-derived consumable products. Yes, you read that right. This bill is a disaster.

It was an invigorating experience witnessing the DEA aggressively argue in favor of the currently accepted medical uses that our beloved plant has and effectively crush the “refer madness” opposition to marihuana’s many efficacious therapeutic benefits.