Why Is The Hemp Industry Infighting After the Ban?
Why is the hemp industry melting down and fighting with itself at the exact moment a federal ban just landed? And what does that mean for the regulated cannabis side that’s been watching this play out from the sidelines? Thomas WinStanley from Edibles.com brings an operator-level view of what the ban means on the ground.
In the latest episode of Trade To Black, hosted by Dutchie, Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell unpack the growing tension within the hemp and cannabis sectors following Congress’s recent passage of language effectively banning intoxicating hemp-derived products. Not only do we chat with Thomas WinStanley about the internal friction happening across the hemp space—the lawsuits being drafted, the finger-pointing over who caused the crackdown, and how this moment could reset the conversation in DC—we’ll also meet with Michael Bronstein, President of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp for an Insider’s Edge on how national trade groups and policymakers are processing this shift in real time.
The Continuing Resolution (CR) introduced new THC restrictions, disrupting national expansion plans for companies like Edibles.com. Despite the chaos, WinStanley views the attention as a net positive, forcing long-overdue federal discussions about THC regulation. He highlights the growing divide in the hemp industry following the ban as a necessary step toward legitimacy and policy clarity.
There may be a probable future where high-dose THC products are confined to state-regulated dispensaries, while the hemp market evolves into a low-dose ingestible segment. Thomas concurs, stating that the proposed five-milligram-per-serving limit for hemp-derived edibles offers the least resistance politically and may act as a path forward to ensure some THC access remains federally protected.
Michael Bronstein adds historical and legal perspective, emphasizing that—for the first time—federal law now recognizes a specific THC limit in consumer products (.4 mg), effectively challenging the logic of maintaining cannabis under Schedule I. He urges against framing the THC restrictions as a full cannabis rollback, arguing instead that they signal political will for eventual federal reform.
Be sure to catch the discussion on this episode of Trade To Black.
