The highly anticipated US Farm Bill 2025, which has previously come under intense scrutiny from the country’s hemp industry, has been released by the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The 2025 US Farm Bill, a piece of comprehensive legislation published around every five years to fund farming programs, has now been published as a new draft by the committee, led by Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
It’s primary goal now appears to be closing a loophole in the 2018 farm bill which has allowed a grey market of ‘intoxicating hemp’ substances to flourish while ensuring legitimate industrial hemp businesses are able to continue operating.
In May, Business of Cannabis reported that the ‘Mary Miller’ amendment had been added to the Farm Bill. Despite being aimed at targeting this intoxicating substances derived from low-THC hemp, the amendment would also have a major impact on the country’s hemp and CBD industries, making 90-95% of hemp products on the market, including FDA-approved animal feed, illegal.
Now, following significant lobbying from the hemp industry, a new draft of the bill, initially intended to be the 2023 Farm Bill, has been published.
The updated draft now redefines hemp to include ‘total THC’ levels, incorporating all variants like delta-8, delta-10, delta-9 and THCA, and keeping to a 0.3% limit.
It has also introduced a new definition of ‘industrial hemp’, limited explicitly to non-cannabinoid parts of the plant including stalks, fibers and seeds, meaning all the parts used to create these intoxicating compounds are not included.
In further efforts to ensure hemp farmers are minimally impacted by its crackdown on the intoxicating hemp industry, the Senate has proposed a ‘certified seed pilot program.’.
This would allow up to five states or tribal governments to certify low-THC hemp seed varieties, enabling farmers who use these seeds to qualify for temporary exemptions from routine THC testing.
The draft also eases regulatory burdens for industrial hemp farmers by replacing strict testing protocols with visual inspections and performance-based sampling. Background checks for licensing would be eliminated, and individuals with prior drug-related felony convictions could re-enter the industry.
It is unlikely the bill will be passed before the session closes in January, meaning a new administration and Congress will be tasked with addressing these issues next year.
Despite efforts to minimise impacts on hemp farmers, reactions have been mixed, with some praising the bill’s focus on consumer safety and regulatory clarity, while others warn it could stifle innovation and harm businesses reliant on hemp-derived cannabinoids.
