Patient advocates worry the federal intoxicating hemp ban beginning in November will disrupt access to full-spectrum cannabinoid medicines that millions rely on.
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Fighting for Patients
The advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) released a report that warns that, without action, patients who depend on full-spectrum cannabinoid medicines will face significant issues.
It’s a response to a funding bill passed by Congress that establishes statutory definitions for “industrial hemp” and “hemp-derived cannabinoid products” and imposes a new “total THC” standard.
However, according to ASA, it will also remove most full-spectrum cannabinoid products from legal commerce.
“Effective responses must account … for the conditions that made it their only viable option. Barriers such as cost, access deserts, and limited product availability, driven by competition for shelf space in adult-use markets, left patients with few options,” ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer said.
Many CBD products have a little more THC than the small mandated limit to make them more effective with the entourage or ensemble effect.
So ASA has launched a national call to action to urge patients and advocates to lobby the states for action. According to them, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, cancer patients, and children with rare diseases who have relied on full-spectrum cannabinoid medicines from the hemp marketplace for years are at risk.
Many turned to hemp only after being pushed out of state medical cannabis programs by cost, geography, or shrinking product options in adult-use cannabis markets.
Ensuring State Medical Cannabis Accesss
“Their next step should be passing comprehensive federal legislation that builds on the contribution of the 30-year state experiment and integrates cannabis and cannabinoid products into US healthcare systems. Until then, the health and safety of the vulnerable patients lie in the hands of the states,” said Sherer.
“Our hope is that state policymakers will embrace that responsibility swiftly and with compassion,” she added.
Their report dispels the misconception that President Donald Trump’s Executive Order or cannabis rescheduling will fix this. Executive action cannot override statutory limits. In addition, rescheduling alone does not legalize medical cannabis or restore patient rights.
According to them, without state-level strategies, millions of patients face losing medicines they use to manage chronic pain, epilepsy, PTSD, cancer symptoms, and other serious conditions when the new federal definitions take effect on November 11, 2026.
ASA wants to ensure continued access to medical cannabis. So, they want the states to remove barriers that push patients out of state medical cannabis programs. They are specifically concerned about cost, lack of a nearby dispensary, and few products available.
They also demand that states ensure medical cannabis safety by strengthening testing, labeling, and oversight to protect patients.
Federal Intoxicating Hemp Ban Opposition from Industry
The ASA and other patient advocates are not the only ones eager to fight the hemp ban.
Bills have been introduced in Congress that would address it as well. One has bipartisan support in the US House of Representatives. The US Hemp Roundtable lobby group supports such measures that would raise the THC cap. They also agree with moderates on the need to limit sales to those 21 and older.
All the makers and sellers of infused hemp seltzers are very unhappy as well.
