Is There A Silver Lining In The Federal Hemp Ban?
In this episode of the TDR Trade To Black Podcast presented by Dutchie, host Shadd Dales and co-host Anthony Varrell sit down with Brady Cobb — attorney, advocate, and entrepreneur — to unpack how the federal hemp ban became one of the biggest wake-up calls the cannabis world has ever seen. But is this all bad for the industry? Maybe not. Industry advocate Brady Cobb explains why outrage is high, misinformation is spreading, and why he believes this ban might signal—not prevents—upcoming cannabis rescheduling.
Hemp has become one of the most talked-about topics on social media, with many incorrectly claiming MSOs conspired with Republicans to shut hemp down. He rejected that narrative outright, arguing that the cannabis industry lacks the lobbying power for such a maneuver and that the ban has been in motion for years. Rather than an MSO-driven effort, Cobb sees the influence of “Big Bourbon,” citing longstanding political ties and the alcohol industry’s far stronger lobbying footprint.
The discussion centered on the longstanding fragmentation between hemp and marijuana operators, with Cobb criticizing both sides for years of political infighting—especially the hemp industry’s lobbying against Florida’s Amendment 3. He emphasized that the only beneficiaries of this feud are large, well-capitalized competitors like alcohol, pharma, and tobacco.
Cobb argued that the federal ban targets synthetic cannabinoids, illicit THC-rich products mislabeled as hemp, and non-age-gated retail. In his view, these abuses made regulatory intervention inevitable. He also stressed that many hemp-market products are not sourced from Kentucky farms, despite political talking points, but from West Coast oversupply redirected into smoke shops nationwide.
Looking ahead, Cobb predicted the ban is the first part of a “two-step” regulatory sequence that will culminate in THC rescheduling under a future Trump administration. He rejected online claims that the hemp crackdown signals cannabis prohibition, instead calling it a necessary cleanup step before coherent national reform. He also expects states to begin local enforcement well before the one-year federal phase-out is complete.
Tune in for the full interview.
