BREAKING: White House Backs Barr Amendment #54, Calls for Fair Treatment of Hemp Products
- John R. Gordon
- Jun 26
- 2 min read
In a June 24, 2026 letter to Speaker Mike Johnson requesting supplemental appropriations, the White House urged Congress to revise federal hemp regulations "to ensure the fair treatment of hemp products in a manner consistent with Amendment #54 offered to H.R. 8646 in the House Rules Committee, or, at minimum, an extension of implementation of the regulatory framework put in place by Section 781 of Public Law 119-37."
On May 28, 2026, Representative Andy Barr (R-KY) introduced Amendment #54 to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027 (H.R. 8646). On June 2, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives Rules Committee approved a select group of proposed amendments for floor consideration. Amendment #54 was not among those selected, effectively preventing it from receiving a vote on the House floor. Because the amendment was not made "in order" by the Rules Committee, it could not be offered during House consideration of H.R. 8646. As a result, the House never voted directly on the proposal.
The House subsequently passed H.R. 8646 by a vote of 213-210. The legislation now awaits consideration by the U.S. Senate. Congress may still modify or replace the hemp provisions before final enactment. If the House and Senate pass different versions of the bill, negotiators could also consider revised hemp language during conference.
Rather than broadly prohibiting hemp-derived cannabinoid products, Barr's proposal would have established a comprehensive federal regulatory framework emphasizing consumer protection, product safety, and responsible manufacturing. The White House's reference to Amendment 54 is significant because it represents the first public indication that the Administration views Barr's proposal as a viable legislative framework for replacing or modifying the hemp restrictions scheduled to take effect on November 12. Until now, the amendment had received relatively little attention outside congressional and industry circles.
Had the amendment been adopted, November 12 would not have marked the beginning of a broad federal crackdown on hemp-derived THC products. Instead, it would have marked the implementation of a comprehensive consumer-protection framework designed to keep compliant products legally available through traditional retail channels while imposing nationwide standards for testing, labeling, packaging, manufacturing, age verification, and product safety.
Among the amendment's major provisions were:
Preserving a legal national market for hemp-derived cannabinoid products
Creating a comprehensive federal regulatory framework
Establishing a minimum purchase age of 21
Requiring third-party laboratory testing
Creating national labeling standards
Requiring child-resistant packaging
Restricting youth-oriented marketing
Prohibiting synthetic cannabinoids
Limiting foreign hemp products
Maintaining FDA oversight
Establishing manufacturing standards
Strengthening consumer transparency
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