I've been waiting a while to write this one. This week, Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced the bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act, and it includes the seed fix we've been pushing for since day one.

A quick reminder of the issue

The 2018 Farm Bill defined seed — along with all hemp — as legal so long as it tested below 0.3% THC by dry weight. This was the plain meaning of the statute, and the DEA supported that seeds were not criminalized under Schedule I. As a result, seeds — which by nature contain no THC — have moved freely in interstate commerce and, like seeds for all crops, are regulated under the Federal Seed Act for quality and truth in labeling. There is no problem with hemp seeds that needs to be fixed.

It was a surprise to everyone in the hemp industry to find, hidden in the hemp bill language of the appropriations bill last fall, a sentence that would criminalize hemp seed if not traced back to the plant and field where the seed grew. This sentence — if it comes into effect on November 12, 2026 — will create a major problem for all downstream users of hemp, whether industrial hemp, medical hemp, or hemp beverages. The severe restriction on seed will disrupt the hemp processing supply chain and cause inflation. As well, the restrictions will hinder hemp research and innovation in hemp seed and genetics at just the moment when the U.S. needs this innovation to stay ahead globally.

ASIGA was formed to educate about hemp seed and raise awareness of the need to fix the problem created before it goes into effect on November 12, 2026.

What's in the bill

Here's the language in the Barr bill we support and that matters most:

"(C) EXCLUSIONS.—Such term does not include—
(i) any viable seed from a Cannabis sativa L. plant where the seed exceeds a total tetrahydrocannabinol concentration (including tetrahydrocannabinol acid) of more than 1 percent on a dry weight basis."

In plain terms: THC gets measured on the seed itself, not on traceback to a parent plant and testing of that plant, with all the complications of testing a live plant. There's no traceback provision, so the status quo our members have built their businesses around stays put. The only real change is the threshold moving from 0.3% up to 1%, which ASIGA fully supports.

That's the whole ask. No hidden strings, no watered-down version of what we wanted. It's the fix we've been asking for, written into federal legislative text almost word for word.

How we got here

This wasn't luck. It's the result of months of showing up, making our case, and building the right relationships. Representative Barr's office listened, and our endorsements from the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC), and the National Hemp Association (NHA) gave our ask real weight in the room. Each of them went to bat for us with Rep. Barr directly. This is what coalition advocacy is supposed to look like: a few respected voices, all pointed at the same clear ask, landing with a member willing to carry it.

What happens now

We're not done. There's still a road ahead before the Barr bill becomes law. Right now, the clearest path is the Continuing Resolution (CR) anomaly process, and we're already talking with Senate leadership about it.

This is where we need you

Bills don't move on their own. They move because people show up and ask their members to care. Congress is heading into recess, which works in our favor — members will be home and easier to reach than usual.

We put together a recess action packet to make this simple: talking points on the seed issue, background on the CR anomaly strategy, and guidance on requesting or attending a meeting with your member while they're in-district.

Take Action Grab the ASIGA Recess Action Packet 3-page PDF · Talking points, do's & don'ts, and how to schedule your meeting