GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — The bill to re-open the federal government was signed into law last week after the longest federal government shutdown in history.
After 43 days, democrats and republicans were able to come together on a funding bill, but that bill is now threatening the hemp industry.
In the current language of the bill, the national multi-billion dollar industry would only be allowed to sell .4 milligrams of total THC per package. That includes Delta-9, Delta-8, and THCa; which now can be sold as edibles, beverages or creams.
The new limit would affect nearly every hemp brand in the United States.
The ban came about due to concern around the safety of synthetic cannabinoid consumables, including poorly labeled products from China.
“Prohibition does not work. We know that from history. People are going to go back to the streets,” said Brandon Danforth with THE Dispensary, headquartered in Green Bay. “There’s other comments saying, “Oh, well kids can get this in gas stations.” While this industry has been asking for regulation to get it off of the gas station shelves. So now those kids are going to go back to the streets.”
Hemp is often used to reduce pain, improve sleep, or for other medicinal reasons.
“I have [customers] with brain cancer, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety, depression, you name it,” said Trevor Johnson, owner of The Cannabis Co. in Green Bay.
He sells a variety of products that help people with various ailments. One of those is a THCa flower.
“People use that and have gotten off of hard drugs. If you’ve heard the customers and what they’ve done before, and what this has led them off of; It’s changed their life.”
Both Johnson and Danforth say they’re worried about what will happen in the black market if the new laws take effect and their shops close down.
But there is a chance to save Wisconsin’s dispensaries.
“Wisconsin has the right to either go with the federal ban, or say ‘we’re just going to keep it how we are, we’ll make our own regulations and keep what we have here to help the people,’” said Johnson.
If the hemp industry does go away, it isn’t just the businesses and their customers who will feel the effects.
“Insurance companies; we ensure all of our employees, we have insurance on all of our products,” said Danforth. “And marketing, advertising, we put dollars back into the economy that way, and we have to work with other businesses for packaging.”
Even though the looming ban is about a year away, people are preparing.
“In the last couple days we saw huge spikes of sales because people are stocking up,” says Johnson. “Now they’re buying six of something versus buying two like they were before.”
Employees aren’t sure what they’re going to do either.
“We have 120 employees and then we have some production staff. We have shipping staff. We have people that head the departments,” said Danforth. “There are people that have been here for multiple years and this is a career for them; now it’s just gone.
THE Dispensary has a petition on their website from the Hemp Industry and Farmers of America for people to sign in hopes of stopping the new regulations from going into effect. Trevor Johnson with The Cannabis Co. is encouraging people to reach out to their local representatives to speak against the regulations.
Currently, the new restrictions are set to take effect on November 12, 2026.
