ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL JOINS BIPARTISAN COALITION URGING CONGRESS TO PRESERVE FEDERAL HEMP REFORMS

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL JOINS BIPARTISAN COALITION URGING CONGRESS TO PRESERVE FEDERAL HEMP REFORMS

August 04, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general, sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to preserve the federal redefinition of hemp and reject any effort to delay, repeal, suspend or weaken the reforms Congress enacted to address intoxicating hemp-derived products.

In a letter sent to congressional leadership and the chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Raoul and the coalition thank Congress for closing the loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed unregulated intoxicating hemp products to proliferate nationwide and urge lawmakers to ensure the new definition remains in effect.

"I am proud to join this bipartisan coalition urging congressional leadership to sustain the recent federal redefinition of hemp, which is essential to protect public safety," Raoul said. "I will continue to push back on policy changes that threaten the health and safety of communities in Illinois and across the country."

Last year Congress established a clearer and more responsible framework for hemp regulation. The coalition's letter explains that states, federal agencies, businesses and consumers have already begun adjusting to the revised definition and that many states have aligned, or are in the process of aligning, their laws and enforcement efforts with the new federal standard.

Raoul and the attorneys general warn that reopening the loophole or weakening the revised definition would create regulatory uncertainty, increase litigation, disrupt lawful businesses that have already adapted to the new framework and allow the return of unregulated intoxicating hemp products to the marketplace.

In their letter, Raoul and the coalition urge Congress to maintain the November 2025 redefinition of hemp and reject any effort to reopen the loophole that Congress previously acted to close. They argue that preserving the current framework will provide regulatory certainty, protect public safety and support a uniform national approach to hemp regulation.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in sending this letter are attorneys general of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.