Florida Hemp Operators Ask Trump to Block Federal THC Product Ban

Industry Coalition Targets Trump Transition Team

Florida hemp trade groups have submitted formal requests to the Trump transition team asking the incoming administration to delay or rescind a USDA rule that would effectively prohibit sales of delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, and other intoxicating hemp cannabinoids. The rule, finalized by the outgoing Biden administration in May 2026, is scheduled to take effect in October 2026.

The Florida Hemp Council and the Hemp Industries Association jointly filed the petition in early July, naming USDA Administrator Tom Vilsack and citing economic harm projections. Florida's hemp industry generated an estimated $2.1 billion in sales in 2025, with intoxicating hemp products accounting for roughly 60 percent of that total, according to state Department of Agriculture data.

Rule Targets Synthetic and Semi-Synthetic Cannabinoids

The USDA's final rule reclassifies delta-8 THC and chemically converted cannabinoids as controlled substances, removing them from the 2018 Farm Bill's definition of legal hemp. The agency argues these products were never intended to fall under the Farm Bill's hemp exemption, which applies only to cannabis containing no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight.

Industry attorneys say the rule exceeds USDA's statutory authority and conflicts with congressional intent when the Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation and commerce in 2018.

CBD isn't affected. Neither are other non-intoxicating hemp extracts. The rule specifically targets products created through chemical conversion of CBD into delta-8 THC or similar analogs, a process that became widespread after 2020.

What Florida Operators Want From Trump

Petitioners are asking the Trump administration to issue a stay of enforcement pending further rulemaking or congressional action. They also want USDA to open a new comment period and conduct an economic impact analysis, which they say was inadequate in the original rulemaking process.

Trump hasn't publicly addressed the hemp THC issue. His previous statements on cannabis policy focused on state-level marijuana legalization and banking reform, not hemp derivatives. Personnel appointments at USDA will signal whether the administration's willing to reopen the rule before October.

For full context on this regulatory fight, see the CannIntel topic hub on the federal hemp THC ban.