Senate advances bipartisan funding bill with temporary block on Trump grant-review rule

The Senate’s government funding bill would keep agencies funded through Dec. 11 and includes a one-month delay of a federal ban on most hemp-derived THC products, shifting the effective date from Nov. 12 to Dec. 11. The change, included at the White House’s request, has run into resistance from Sen. Ted Budd and other Republicans, who are seeking to strip it from the bill over concerns that children can easily access intoxicating hemp products. The fight stems from a law passed late last year that redefined hemp to close the so-called hemp loophole left by the 2018 Farm Bill. That earlier law removed hemp from the controlled substances list, but its broad definition and the lack of federal regulation helped fuel a market for gummies, drinks and other cannabinoid products sold well beyond dispensaries, including in gas stations, convenience stores and major retailers such as Target. Many of the products can produce a marijuana-like high without being treated as marijuana, and critics say they are often sold without consistent age restrictions or labeling rules and sometimes resemble candy. Under the new definition, legal hemp products would be limited to 0.4 milligrams per container of total THC, or any other cannabinoids with similar effects. Cannabinoids that are synthesized and "are not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant" would still be banned on the original timeline. The administration has signaled for months that it wants Congress to preserve access to full-spectrum CBD products while restricting products that pose health risks. President Trump wrote in April that Congress should update the law so Americans can continue to access the products they rely on while preserving lawmakers’ intent to restrict risky items. The Office of Management and Budget made a similar case in June as lawmakers considered earlier hemp-related proposals, all of which were rejected.