Attorney General Formella Urges Congress to Preserve Federal Hemp Reforms and Protect Consumers from Intoxicating Hemp Products

Concord, NH - Attorney General John M. Formella, working as part of a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from across the country, is urging Congress to preserve recent federal hemp reforms and reject any effort to delay, repeal, suspend, or weaken the new framework governing hemp-derived products.

In a letter sent to congressional leaders and the chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the coalition is thanking Congress for closing a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed unregulated intoxicating hemp products to proliferate nationwide. The attorneys general urged Congress to ensure the new definition of hemp remains in effect and continues to provide clarity and protection for consumers, businesses, and states.

"Congress acted to close a loophole that allowed intoxicating hemp products to enter the marketplace without consistent safety standards or meaningful consumer protections," said Attorney General Formella. "Maintaining this framework will protect consumers, provide certainty for legitimate businesses, and ensure that hemp policy remains focused on lawful, nonintoxicating products."

The coalition's letter explains that, since Congress enacted the new definition of hemp in November 2025, states, federal agencies, businesses, and consumers have begun adjusting to a more consistent and responsible regulatory framework. Many states have aligned, or are in the process of aligning, their laws, regulations, and enforcement efforts with the new federal standard.

The attorneys general warn that reopening the loophole or weakening the revised definition would create regulatory uncertainty, increase litigation, disrupt lawful businesses that have already adapted to the new framework, and allow the return of unregulated intoxicating hemp products.

The coalition emphasized that maintaining the new definition of hemp will not interfere with legitimate industrial, agricultural, or commercial hemp production. Instead, the reforms restore the original intent of the 2018 Farm Bill by supporting lawful hemp markets while preventing the sale of intoxicating products that exploited ambiguities in federal law.

In addition to Attorney General Formella, the letter was signed by attorneys general from Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.