Farm Bill will pull most THC products off shelves

In what’s being referred to as “closing a loophole,” the 2026 Farm Bill approved last week will pull many THC products, including trending cannabis drinks.

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, making it no longer a controlled substance. Hemp was described at the time as “any part of the cannabis plant or its derivatives containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis.” The goal was to allow the substance when it lacks an intoxicating impact.

Senator Mitch McConnell authored the original Farm Bill, but has since said that its hemp definition has resulted in “an unintended consequence that has allowed for intoxicating hemp-derived synthetic products to be made and sold.”

While the 2018 Farm Bill only listed delta-9 in its definition, other cannabinoids and the synthetic version, delta-8, have similar effects. Manufacturers are able to use these other products to put larger quantities of THC in products.

Effective Nov. 13, 2026, hemp-derived products will be illegal if they contain more than 0.3% total THC, including all forms of cannabinoids with intoxicating effects.

The rule that will pull many, if not most, THC products is the limit of 0.4 mg of total THC per container.

Many cannabis-infused drinks list THC as an ingredient, and while there is no standard dose, “average dose” drinks contain 5-10 mg of THC per container while “low dose” products still contain 2-4 mg. The Happy Can, made in Urbandale, has offers between 4 and 10 mg of THC in a 12-ounce can. Other products can contain as much as 200 mg of THC.

Products containing delta-8, a cannabinoid manufactured outside the plant, will also be banned. Climbing Kites, another Iowa-made cannabis brand, said the rule would wipe out 100% of their product line.

“The lowest dose we currently offer is 2.5 mg,” CEO Scott Selix said. Many Creston stores don’t offer THC drinks that would meet the new standards.

Despite concerns from some hemp retailers, Senator Chuck Grassley said he stands by the new bill, saying he wouldn’t support reversing it.

“I won’t vote to change that, because as Senator McConnell said, it was never intended to go with this intoxicating effect of the product,” Grassley says “He says there’s a loophole, the industry took advantage of it, and it was never intended, and it should be closed.”

Shops, grocery stores and gas stations have a year to pull the products from their shelves.

“The product you’re talking about is not sold as the only product in the stores,” Grassley said. “It’s sold along with hundreds or thousands of other products, and the product might go away, but the stores aren’t going to go away.”