HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania’s attorney general has thrown his weight behind a proposed federal redefinition of hemp that would sharply restrict many hemp-derived consumable products, a move industry advocates say would devastate businesses and limit consumer access to popular goods.
What the attorney general says
Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday joined more than 30 state attorneys general in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to allow an overhaul of how hemp-derived products are treated under federal law to take effect in three months. The letter argued the redefinition would clarify the legal status of certain "intoxicating products" that contain tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the compound in cannabis that can produce psychoactive effects.
"The new federal definition ensures both uniformity and safety throughout the nation," the letter said, noting that several states have already incorporated federal changes into their own laws.
Industry response and local impact
Hemp businesses and advocates in Pennsylvania, however, say the proposal sweeps far beyond intoxicating products and would effectively eliminate a large share of the market for hemp consumables that have flourished since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation.
Jake Sitler, president of the Pennsylvania Hemp and Cannabis Guild, warned that "livelihoods are going to be destroyed, and people are now going to lose safe consumer access." Many of the state’s licensed growers and processors sell raw hemp to companies that manufacture edible and topical products such as CBD drinks and gummies.
Who would be affected
The Department of Agriculture in Pennsylvania currently licenses a sizable craft of hemp operators. According to state licensing data, the licensed network includes growers and processors who feed a growing consumables market.
| Category | Licensed in PA |
|---|---|
| Hemp growers | 170 |
| Hemp processors | 32 |
National industry groups predict the proposed change would eliminate most of the hemp consumable marketplace. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable estimates the impact at roughly 95% of the hemp consumable sector — a figure that, if accurate, would imperil manufacturers of CBD-infused foods, beverages and other ingestible products.
What is and isn’t covered
Supporters of the federal rewrite stress it is targeted at products they consider capable of producing a high and unclear under current law. The draft regulation explicitly exempts industrial hemp fiber and grain typically used for clothing, paper, biodegradable plastics, biofuel and animal feed.
- Exempted: industrial hemp fiber and grain used for non-consumable products.
- Potentially banned: many hemp-derived consumables such as CBD drinks, gummies and other ingestible products that industry says are legal today.
- Law enforcement view: district attorneys say the change will help clarify enforcement against intoxicating, unregulated products such as those containing delta-8 THC.
Local officials and regulators
District attorneys across Pennsylvania have signaled support for stronger federal clarity, saying unregulated intoxicants have posed challenges for prosecutors and public health officials seeking to protect minors and adult consumers from products marketed outside regulated channels.
At the same time, Pennsylvania agricultural officials and hemp advocates say the state has built regulatory systems and a licensed supply chain that depend on clear rules permitting consumable hemp products. For growers and processors that supply manufacturers of edible and topical products, the proposed federal definition represents an existential threat.
What comes next
Under the timeline cited by the attorney general and his counterparts, the new federal definition would take effect in approximately three months unless Congress acts to block or modify it. That window has left businesses and regulators scrambling to assess compliance options and potential economic fallout.
For now, farmers, processors and manufacturers are watching Washington closely while grappling with the possibility that much of a market that grew under the 2018 Farm Bill could disappear. The debate pits concerns about public safety and law enforcement clarity against the economic realities of an industry that has diversified into consumable hemp products over the last several years.
Gregory Halloran, State Correspondent
