Hemp Ban Update: What the New Federal Law Means

Updated October 9, 2026

TL;DR

• Major changes to federal hemp law are currently set to take effect December 11, 2026.
• Today, hemp is generally federally legal when it contains no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight.
• The new law changes how THC is measured and creates an extremely restrictive limit for finished hemp products: no more than 0.4 mg of total THC per container.
• That is 0.4 mg in the entire package, not per serving, gummy, dropper, or dose.
• This can affect ordinary full-spectrum CBD products, including our Full Spectrum CBD Gummies, Full Spectrum Pet Oil, Full Spectrum CBD Pain Salves, Full Spectrum CBD Oil, and more.
• Some products that stay under the new THC limit may still qualify as legal hemp, but payment processing is becoming another major obstacle for the entire CBD industry.
• Humble Collective is not closing. We are preparing for the changes, expanding our herbal and non-hemp products, and continuing to sell compliant hemp products for as long as we legally and practically can.
• There is still reason for hope. Bipartisan legislation has been introduced that could delay, replace, or substantially rewrite the new rules.

What Is Actually Changing?

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp has generally been distinguished from marijuana based on its concentration of delta-9 THC. Cannabis containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC by dry weight can currently qualify as federally legal hemp.

That percentage-based system allows full-spectrum CBD products to contain small, naturally occurring amounts of THC while still remaining within federal hemp limits.

The new law changes that framework. It moves toward measuring total THC, including THCA, and creates an additional restriction for finished hemp-derived cannabinoid products. To remain within the new federal definition of hemp, a finished product generally cannot contain more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container.

The words “per container” are what make this such a major change. The limit is not 0.4 mg per serving. A bottle containing 30 servings does not receive 30 times the allowance. The entire retail package must stay within the limit.

Why This Affects More Than Intoxicating THC Products

It is easy to hear “hemp ban” and assume this is only about products designed to get someone high. Unfortunately, the 0.4 mg threshold reaches much further.

Full-spectrum CBD products are designed to preserve a broader range of naturally occurring compounds from the hemp plant, including trace amounts of THC. Those amounts can be very small and still cause an entire bottle, jar, or package to exceed the new 0.4 mg limit.

For Humble Collective, this can affect products such as our Full Spectrum CBD Gummies, Full Spectrum Pet Oil, Full Spectrum CBD Pain Salves, Full Spectrum CBD Oil, and other full-spectrum products containing naturally occurring THC.

Products that exceed the new federal limits would no longer qualify for the federal hemp exemption. That is why this law has such significant consequences for CBD companies, hemp farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers, not just businesses selling high-dose hemp THC products.

Does This Mean All CBD Will Be Illegal?

No. CBD itself is not simply being banned. Products that meet the new federal definition and stay within the applicable THC limits may still qualify as legal hemp.

Unfortunately, legal compliance is only part of the problem.

The Payment Processing Problem

Even companies planning to sell only products that remain federally compliant are facing another challenge: some payment processors are moving away from the CBD and hemp industry entirely.

Square, which has supported CBD merchants through a specialized program for years, announced that it is winding down that program because of the federal law change and that CBD and hemp-derived products will no longer be supported on its platform once the new rules are implemented.

That means a product could potentially remain federally legal under the new THC limits while the company selling it still struggles to find a processor willing to accept credit card payments for CBD.

This is especially difficult for small online businesses. Being legally allowed to sell a product does not help much if the banking and payment-processing systems needed to accept customer payments will not support the industry.

What This Means for Humble Collective

We are preparing for both parts of the problem: the changing federal product limits and the changing payment-processing landscape.

We are working on payment processing that will allow us to continue selling compliant products while also reviewing our hemp inventory to determine what can realistically remain available after December 11.

We are also being cautious about restocking products that we may not legally or practically be able to sell later. That is why our Final Sale category continues to grow. Products placed there are items we currently do not plan to restock once the remaining inventory is gone.

Our CBDBAN discount is also still available for the time being:

25% off full-priced Humble brand products
15% off full-priced products from other brands

Sale-category products and gift cards are excluded. There is currently no scheduled end date for the code.

We are not recommending panic buying or trying to manufacture urgency. But if you regularly use a particular full-spectrum hemp product, we also would not assume that every product available today will still be available after December.

There Is Still Hope for a Different Outcome

December 11 is the deadline businesses have to prepare for today, but it is not necessarily the end of the conversation in Congress.

Several bipartisan efforts are underway to replace or delay the new restrictions.

Representatives Andy Barr of Kentucky and Angie Craig of Minnesota introduced the bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act. Instead of the current near-zero finished-product threshold, their proposal would create a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumer products.

The proposal includes standards for manufacturing, testing, labeling and packaging, prohibits synthetic cannabinoids in finished products, restricts consumable hemp products to adults 21 and older, and directs the FDA to establish cannabinoid limits. It would also change the hemp threshold to 1% total THC on a dry-weight basis and create specific rules for finished consumer products.

There is also the bipartisan Hemp Planting Predictability Act, introduced in both the House and Senate, which was designed to delay implementation of the new hemp definition until 2028 so farmers and businesses have more time while Congress works toward a permanent solution.

Congress has already demonstrated that the timeline can change. The original restrictions were scheduled to take effect in November 2026, but legislation enacted in September pushed the deadline to December 11, 2026, giving lawmakers additional time to work on a longer-term solution.

None of these proposals are guaranteed to become law. For now, we still have to prepare for December 11. But there is bipartisan activity around replacing an outright restrictive approach with clearer rules for testing, labeling, age limits, product safety, and responsible hemp sales.

Humble Is Not Going Away

No matter what happens with federal hemp law, Humble Collective is not closing.

Over the years, our business has grown well beyond CBD. We will continue expanding our herbal tinctures, bulk herbs and teas, herbal body care, tallow products, supplements, natural home products, and other non-hemp offerings.

We also intend to continue offering hemp and CBD products that remain legal and that we can reliably process payments for.

We will keep watching the legislation closely and update our customers if the December deadline changes, a new regulatory framework passes, or anything else materially changes.

If you have questions about the hemp law, a product you regularly use, what may still be available after December, or possible alternatives, please reach out. There is a real person on the other end, and we are always happy to help.

Thank you for continuing to support our family-run business through all of these changes.

Sarah, Grace & the Humble Collective Team