Sens. Pitch Hemp Regulation Bill Following Passage Of Ban
Source: https://www.law360.
December 12, 2025
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., reintroduced a bill Wednesday that would regulate products with hemp-derived cannabinoids, with an emphasis on age gating, manufacturing standards, and testing and labeling requirements.
The reintroduction of the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act marked the first piece of federal hemp legislation to be put forth since Congress approved a ban on virtually all hemp products as part of the continuing resolution that reopened the government in November.
That comprehensive hemp ban does not go into effect until November 2026, giving hemp industry stakeholders and their allies in Congress about 11 months to enact a regulatory proposal that falls short of a full prohibition.
“There’s no question that more needs to be done to protect kids and consumers from unsafe, untested hemp products,” Wyden said in a statement. “We learned from the failed war on drugs that a one-size-fits all approach banning hemp products from the market outright does nothing to protect kids and consumers, and will be a gut-punch to thousands of jobs and small businesses across the country.”
“My legislation takes the thoughtful and measured approach necessary to implement strong consumer protection regulations while fostering growth and innovation in this growing industry,” he added.
The CSRA, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., would not preempt states from enacting their own policies on hemp-derived intoxicants, a path many states have already taken, outside setting labeling and packaging requirements. It would not allow states to prohibit the transportation or shipment of hemp cannabinoid products through their borders.
The bill would ban wholly synthetic cannabinoids while allowing cannabinoids that are converted from plant-extracted compounds, such as delta-8 THC, which can be synthesized from CBD. It would forbid false or misleading advertising and labeling, as well as marketing to anyone under 21.
Furthermore, the legislation would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to implement a slew of regulations governing testing for impurities, good manufacturing practices and conducting remote sales to prevent products from being sold to children.
The CSRA would also set a potency cap for edible, inhalable and topical products of 5mg THC per serving and 50mg THC per package; beverages would be capped at 5mg THC per serving and 10mg THC per container.
Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, a leading hemp industry trade organization, in a statement: “We are deeply grateful to Senators Wyden and Merkley for their continued leadership on behalf of hemp farmers, consumers and businesses.”
“Introduction of their bill is a key first step to developing consensus around a robust regulatory framework that can replace the impending ban,” Miller’s statement continued. “We are hopeful that Congress will extend the ban moratorium for at least another year to provide adequate time to consider, improve upon and resolve efforts such as” the CSRA.
For five years, the bill would invest an annual sum of $200 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and $25 million to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to fund studies and projects geared toward the prevention of drug use and underage cannabis use. The legislation would direct a further $40 million to the U.S. Department of Transportation to implement programs that prevent cannabis-impaired driving.
A previous version of the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act was introduced in September 2024 but it failed to gain any traction in the U.S. Senate, and the bill never advanced out of committee.