They argue that rolling back hemp reforms that were established in 2025 would “create regulatory uncertainty, disrupt businesses that have already adapted to the law, and allow unregulated intoxicating hemp products to return to store shelves and into the hands of our children.”
AG Tim Griffin (R-Arkansas) is leading the push. The coalition is made up of 35 state AGs, containing red states such as Ohio, Tennessee and Missouri and blue states such as California, New York and Illinois.
Furthermore, as he says, both Republicans and Democrat want federal lawmakers to “support a consistent national approach that protects public safety.”
Talking about this on the "Washington Watch" program, Griffin warned that legislative delays will keep unregulated “gas station weed” on store shelves and within easy reach of children.
"It's stuff coming from who knows where, containing who knows what. It's made to look attractive like gummy bears or what have you. You don't know if it's from China. You don't know how much drug is in it," Griffen stated.
The hemp industry, he said, is attempting to use a funding rider in Congress to postpone the law's enforcement, with the ultimate goal of reversing the regulations entirely.
He pointed out that delaying safety rules puts children directly in harm's way.
"A lot of these packages are sitting around homes, and these kids find them, and they look like gummy bears or Doritos. This has sent a lot of young kids, children, babies and toddlers to the emergency room," Griffen states.
In 2023, The Wall Street Journal published an article about selling edibles that look like normal children snacks — Doritos, Cheetos, Nerds Ropes, Sour Patch Kids — but are packaged slightly different. The treats inside actually laced with a psychoactive substance sourced from hemp. According to the Food and Drug Administration, children are more vulnerable to the effects than adults, being sickened or hospitalized.
Along with Griffin, senators such as Tom Cotton (Arkansas) and Ted Budd (North Carolina) are rallying lawmakers to reject any delay proposals and keep the current federal safety laws in place.
