Mindset Goes to Washington

The Growing Momentum for an Extension to the Hemp Ban

Jan 16, 2026

Last November, at the behest of Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate slipped language into the bill reopening the government that effectively banned hemp and almost all CBD. That ban is set to go into effect in November of this year.

Since then, there has been growing recognition in Congress that this was a mistake—an overreach and an abuse of the way laws get passed. The White House’s December rescheduling announcement, which was shockingly pro-hemp, added fuel to the fire, especially after President Trump repeatedly praised the benefits of full-spectrum, hemp-derived CBD—products that would be banned under the language that was passed.

Now there is real momentum to delay implementation of the ban until 2028 so that, instead of a blanket ban, Congress has time to pass proper regulation of hemp. This would allow fully regulated, thriving hemp beverage markets—like Minnesota’s—to continue to prosper and would also give other states the freedom to decide how to treat hemp, just as they’ve decided how to regulate cannabis.

Over the past three days, I participated in a fly-in with the U.S. Hemp Roundtable and Hemp Industry and Farmers of America (HIFA) to lobby Congress for a hemp extension and to push for proper regulations. The participants included farmers who have already invested significant capital into land, equipment, and seeds for a hemp market that may no longer exist by November. It also included CEOs, producers, processors, and hemp beverage leaders.

I was there to tell the story of low-dose hemp beverages, and I was grateful to be joined by Theo Terris, CEO of Uncle Arnie’s; Adam Terry, CEO of Cantrip; Angus Rittenburg, CEO of Wynk; and several other CEOs.

We met with dozens of Members of Congress, along with their staff, Senate staffers, and lobbyists.

My primary mission was to educate everyone, but especially Representatives and their staff on who actually consumes hemp beverages. As the graphic I handed out shows, the primary consumer is a woman over the age of 35 who makes more than $75,000 per year. I’ve written before about the profound misunderstanding as to who consumes hemp. My goal was to educate.

The highlight of the week was the release of a bipartisan bill led by Representative Jim Baird and Representative Angie Craig called the Hemp Planting Predictability Act. The bill extends the deadline for the ban to November 2028. The following day, Representative James Comer hosted a press conference to highlight the proposed legislation.

I am an investor in both cannabis and hemp companies, and I believe there is a place for both. Blanket bans and “reefer madness” aren’t the answer. The answer is proper regulation—and expanding the distribution and availability of safe, tested, and regulated cannabinoid products.

There is now a real opportunity in Congress to take the time to regulate hemp the right way, and I believe that’s ultimately a win for everyone.

I believe in hemp beverages. I believe in cannabis. I left it all on the field in DC this past week to fight for what I believe in.

If you agree with me, I’m asking you to reach out to your Representative and urge them to include the hemp ban extension in the next continuing resolution—and to take the time to properly regulate hemp. Tell them you support Representative Jim Baird’s bill.

Here is an easy way for you to find out how to contact your representatives:

Find Your Representative Link

And here again is the link for the bill itself:

Hemp Planting Predictability Act Link

P.S. Here are some pictures below from my visit as well:

My House Representative Salud Carbajal and me: