Meanwhile Back in the Land of the Living

As ghosts haunted the Texas Capitol this Halloween, a very mortal figure in Washington—Senator Mitch McConnell—quietly made a move that sent a shiver of relief through America’s hemp industry.

In a letter released late Thursday, McConnell agreed to remove the restrictive hemp language from the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill.

This reversal spares the industry from an existential threat that would have criminalized hemp-derived cannabinoids under the guise of “closing loopholes.”

The effort was spearheaded by Senator Rand Paul, alongside HIFA, USHRT, and AHAA, whose combined advocacy forced McConnell’s hand. It’s a reminder that when the industry speaks with one voice—armed with science, law, and persistence—Senate power brokers tend to listen.

McConnell’s office still calls this a “temporary victory,” vowing to revisit the issue in the 2024 Farm Bill. But for now, the legal standard remains intact:

0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight — nothing more, nothing less.

The battle continues, but this week proves one thing:

Even the author of the 2018 Farm Bill can still hear the living when they make enough noise.