Kentucky hemp industry pushes back after federal THC limits added to spending bill

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Kentucky Hemp Association is pushing back after federal lawmakers approved new limits on THC and hemp products as part of the bill that reopened the government.

As ABC 36 first reported Thursday, the provision — backed by Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell — places new regulations on the country’s $28 billion hemp industry. In response, the Kentucky Hemp Association is holding two press conferences Friday: one outside McConnell’s Lexington office and another outside his office in Louisville.

The association says Kentucky’s hemp industry generates roughly $330 million a year, supporting more than 3,000 jobs and nearly 1,600 small businesses across the state.

A bipartisan effort is now underway in Congress to reverse the newly imposed limits.