Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation urging immediate legislative action to revise the new federal hemp law. The new law banned the sale of most hemp products in the U.S. starting in November 2026.
It was passed as part of the plan to reopen the federal government last year. According to the governor’s office, the new federal hemp law is projected to jeopardize $700 million in economic impact and nearly 3,500 jobs in Wisconsin, as well as the growing sector of hemp businesses and producers across the state.
The new federal definition sets the legal limit of THC in final hemp-derived cannabinoid products at 0.4 milligrams per container, ultimately causing many existing lawful products to be reclassified. Evers says it would eliminate existing business models, forcing closures, layoffs, and lost investment. His office notes the impact of the new federal hemp bill will be further intensified in the state because Wisconsin has not legalized medical or recreational marijuana.
In the governor’s letter to Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, he also notes the agricultural impacts of this new regulation. The growing of hemp has become a strong diversification option for Wisconsin farmers, and as of November 2025, Wisconsin had 470 federally licensed hemp producers. Without timely federal legislative action, Wisconsin producers may be forced to abandon hemp cultivation altogether, resulting in lost income and diminished economic opportunities, especially in rural communities.
Read the letter: https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2026/02/27/file_attachments/3568546/02272026_GTE_Letter_Hemp.pdf
