Congress’ recent action on closing the 2018 Farm Bill loophole has caused a lot of conversation, especially about what it means for people who use unregulated intoxicating hemp products.
For Key Cannabis customers, the answer is simple: this proposal doesn’t affect our stores, your access, products, or how we operate.
First: What did Congress actually do?
In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress created a law that legalized hemp via a broad definition and unintentionally opened the door for unregulated intoxicating hemp-derived and synthetic products like Delta-8, Delta-10, HHC, THCP, and high-THCA flower to be sold outside the licensed cannabis market.
For years, intoxicating hemp-derived products have existed in a gray area: sold outside licensed cannabis systems and without the testing or safety requirements that regulated operators follow. This has created confusion for consumers and challenges for policymakers.
This week, federal lawmakers took steps to address that gap by advancing language that would limit unregulated intoxicating hemp products and align federal definitions more closely with existing cannabis regulations. The goal is greater clarity, consistency, and consumer safety across the marketplace.
Specifically, the new Federal Farm Bill language:
- Redefines the definition of “hemp” to include all THC isomers, not just Delta-9, the threshold for hemp is “cannabis containing less than 0.3% Total THC”
- Outlaws all synthetically produced intoxicating cannabinoids, whether derived from cannabis or 100% chemically created, these are no longer treated as harmless “hemp”
- Caps potency on hemp-derived product packaging at 0.4mg of THC
The new law will effectively ensure that intoxicating cannabinoids are only produced and sold in state-licensed producers and retailers.
So what does this mean for Key Cannabis?
Short answer: Absolutely nothing changes for us, or you.
Key Cannabis has always operated as a fully licensed, state-regulated cannabis company. That means:
- Every product we sell goes through state-mandated testing: Real testing, for potency, purity, contaminants, residual solvents, heavy metals.
- We are required to follow strict production, labeling, and safety rules: Our products are traceable from seed to sale.
- We don’t rely on hemp-derived THC products: Our flower, vapes, edibles, and concentrates come from regulated cannabis, not chemically converted CBD.
- Our ability to operate does not depend on the hemp loophole: The Senate amendment affects businesses illegally selling intoxicating hemp outside a licensed system.
It does not affect the Missouri, Illinois, or Arizona cannabis programs, or operators like us. Because we’re already part of a regulated system, these proposed changes simply reinforce the standards we’ve followed from the start: safety, transparency, and compliance.
Consumers deserve safe, consistent, regulated products. As a result of this new law, customers can expect:
- More clarity and fewer surprises: No guessing which gummies came from a dispensary and which came from a gas station.
- A safer environment overall: The products at risk of disappearing are the ones with inconsistent potency, questionable manufacturing methods, and no required lab testing.
The bottom line
If you shop at Key Cannabis, you won’t see disruptions or product removals. The Federal Farm Bill amendment will not change your experience. You’ll simply continue to enjoy the same safe, tested, premium cannabis experience you’ve come to expect from Key Cannabis.
