A federal spending law is changing which products qualify as hemp. The first restrictions are scheduled for November 12, 2026. Most of the changes, including a new THC limit for finished products, are scheduled for December 11, 2026. If you grow hemp, sell hemp products, or buy them, you can ask your members of Congress to amend the law before the broader changes take effect. Read the law that set the revised timeline.
What Congress passed
Congress passed H.R. 5371 in November 2025, and it became Public Law 119-37. Section 781 of Division B changes the federal definition of hemp established by the 2018 Farm Bill. The revised definition counts total THC, including THCA, toward the 0.3% dry-weight threshold. It also excludes finished hemp-derived cannabinoid products that contain more than 0.4 milligrams per retail container of total THC and certain other cannabinoids with similar effects, combined. A can containing 2 milligrams of THC would exceed the finished-product limit on its own. Full-spectrum CBD oils and gummies can also exceed it if the total amount of THC in the container is high enough. Read Section 781.
When the new hemp rules take effect
- November 12, 2026. Intermediate and finished products containing cannabinoids that the cannabis plant cannot naturally produce are scheduled to lose federal hemp status.
- December 11, 2026. Most of the other changes are scheduled to take effect, including the 0.4 mg limit for finished products and the revised total-THC definition that counts THCA. The revised definition can affect flower that meets the delta-9 THC threshold but exceeds the total-THC threshold once THCA is counted.
Congress moved most of the changes to December through Section 2019 of Public Law 119-103. See the Congressional Research Service breakdown.
How to ask Congress to change the hemp law
Send a constituent message asking for a legislative change. Congress can amend Section 781 or extend its effective date through new legislation.
- Find your U.S. representative. Enter your home ZIP code and use your street address if the lookup asks for it. Open the contact form for the representative currently serving your district. Find your representative.
- Contact both U.S. senators from your state. Use each senator’s official web form or call their office. The U.S. Capitol Switchboard can connect you at 202-224-3121. Find your senators.
- Make a specific request. Cite Section 781 of Public Law 119-37 and ask your lawmakers to support legislation that revises it before December 11. Add one concrete detail about how the change would affect you, such as a product you buy, inventory you carry, or a crop you have already contracted to sell. Include your ZIP code and ask for a written response.
Sample message to your representative or senators
Suggested subject Please amend the federal hemp law before December 11
Dear [Senator or Representative Last Name],
I live in [city, state, ZIP code], and I’m writing about Section 781 of Public Law 119-37. The hemp changes scheduled for December 11 would affect me because [add one sentence about your farm, business, or the products you buy].
Please support legislation before December 11 that revises the 0.4 mg per-container limit and preserves access to tested, accurately labeled hemp products. I support clear testing and labeling standards and age restrictions for intoxicating products. If Congress needs more time to agree on those rules, please support an extension for the provisions scheduled to take effect December 11.
Will you support an amendment or an extension? I’d appreciate a written response.
Thank you,
[Your name]
