President and Congress Gives Patients More Time — and Hemp Policy a Better Path Forward

On September 1, the House of Representatives passed the Senate-amended version of H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, and the President signed it into law the following day. In addition to funding the federal government through December 11, the legislation postpones until that same date the implementation of new federal restrictions on consumable hemp products that had been scheduled to take effect November 12, allowing work to continue toward a comprehensive federal regulatory framework that protects patients and consumers without banning many of these products outright.

Over the past several months, AACPN has heard from many members of the communities we represent, who have incorporated consumable hemp products into broader wellness or symptom-management regimens. Some have done so in consultation with healthcare professionals. Others arrived at these products only after finding that more conventional approaches did not fully meet their needs.

Patient-centered healthcare policy begins with a willingness to listen to the people who will actually be affected. Delaying statutory changes that would effectively remove most consumable hemp products from the market overnight gives Congress more time to hear from patients and clinicians instead of treating access as an abstract policy question. It provides an opportunity to consider how a sudden disruption could affect individuals who have developed routines around products that remain lawful today, and creates space for lawmakers to replace an approaching deadline with a policy that is thoughtful, durable and informed by evidence.

The federal government already has an opportunity to learn more about the role certain hemp-derived products may play in coordinated patient care through its own Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive. A program that would be undermined by what would effectively among to a consumable hemp ban.

The CMS initiative is currently available through participating organizations. Eligibility is limited to adult beneficiaries who satisfy applicable health and safety criteria, and a physician must determine that use of an eligible hemp-derived product is appropriate. The physician and patient are required to discuss potential risks and benefits, the patient’s goals and preferences, current medications, possible interactions and plans for follow-up care.

Through this program, CMS has already recognized that eligible hemp-derived products can be evaluated responsibly within a structured setting built around clinical oversight, shared decision-making and patient safety. In addition to satisfying CMS requirements governing potency, product quality and third-party testing for contaminants, these products must be lawful under all federal, state and local laws applicable to both the clinician furnishing them and the patient receiving them. The program does not overrule local jurisdictions. But where legal, it provides a carefully controlled opportunity to evaluate their possible use in patient care.

Congress now has several additional weeks to examine proposals already introduced by lawmakers, including Representative Andy Barr’s bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act and the Beverage Regulatory Parity Act introduced by Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Greg Landsman. AACPN has endorsed both measures because they begin from the premise that Congress can protect patients and establish clearer national policy without displacing state regulatory systems that are already functioning.

December 11 is not far away. Congress may not be able to develop and enact a comprehensive regulatory framework before that date, but there is good reason for optimism. The President and Congress have listened. Patient advocates now have more time to be heard, and lawmakers have another opportunity to enact the right policies.