Wisconsin hemp producers and retailers are staring down a November cliff that threatens to pull popular products from store shelves. Federal rules taking effect November 12 will ban most legal hemp-derived THC gummies and beverages in Wisconsin.
The new restrictions, tied to last summer’s federal funding legislation, slash allowable THC limits. While supporters argue the change closes a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill, local producers and retailers warn the sudden shift will decimate their businesses.
State Representative Maureen McCarville told the Mid-West Farm Report the industry’s future hinges on the upcoming elections.
“With that, we’ll be able to move some of the legislation through in a quicker speed and be able to establish the guidelines and legislation we need to bring more hemp to market,” McCarville said. “We also need to inform the public about what hemp is, so that there’s an understanding that it’s used in a lot of products. It’s used in clothes. It’s used in furniture… Other states market hemp and Wisconsin should be able to do the same.”
However, she expects the Legislature to act early next year—months after the November deadline.
The looming regulatory chaos is also squeezing academic research. Shelby Ellison, who develops new hemp cultivars for fiber, grain, and cannabinoids at the University of Wisconsin Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, told the Mid-West Farm Report that shifting policies and shrinking federal grants are derailing their work.
“There’s just less federal funding in general. We typically see funds from USDA. We see not as many of those programs supporting hemp anymore,” Ellison said. “Things that are compliant right now with the way the current farm bill is written will not be compliant come November, so we’re wrestling with how we’re going to navigate those new changes in a research program.”
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