There are moments in advocacy when you look up from the day-to-day work — the calls to Congress, the coalition meetings, the compliance checklists — and realize the story is finally breaking through. This is one of those moments.
We want to say a sincere thank-you to the Minnesota Star Tribune for its article, "Time is running short for Congress to reverse a looming ban on hemp-derived THC products," and for recognizing 23rd State and our founder, Leah Kollross, among the Minnesotans championing the effort to repeal the federal hemp ban. Local journalism that takes this industry seriously — its farmers, its founders, its jobs, and its customers — is exactly what this moment demands. We are grateful, and we are honored to be part of the story.
Why This Star Tribune Story Matters
The headline says it plainly: time is running short. The federal restrictions enacted under Section 781 are scheduled to take effect on November 12, 2026. That is less than four months away. Between now and then, Congress has a narrow window to replace a blunt prohibition with something better — and the Star Tribune's continued reporting keeps that clock in front of readers, lawmakers, and voters across Minnesota.
For a woman-founded, Minnesota-born brand like ours, being recognized in that coverage means more than a press clipping. It means the case we have been making — that Minnesota built a regulated, tested, age-gated hemp beverage market that works, and that federal policy should learn from that model rather than erase it — is being heard. Leah has carried that message to lawmakers, industry coalitions, and courtrooms. Seeing it reflected in the state's paper of record is a milestone for every small business in this fight — and for the customers who chose these beverages as a mindful, sessionable alternative and deserve to keep that choice. Coverage like this reminds Washington that the hemp ban is not an abstract policy debate; it is a Minnesota story about real businesses, real jobs, and a regulated market that communities actually trust.
A Quick Refresher: What Section 781 Actually Does
If you are new to this issue, here is the short version. In November 2025, Congress passed a government funding package that included Section 781, a provision that rewrote the federal definition of hemp and imposed a cap of just 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container on hemp-derived products. It became law without public hearings, tucked inside must-pass legislation to end a government shutdown.
That threshold is so low it functions as a ban on virtually every compliant, low-dose hemp beverage sold today — including the kind Minnesota has regulated since 2022, when state law established per-serving limits of 10 milligrams of THC for beverages and 5 milligrams for edibles, along with testing, labeling, and 21+ sales requirements. These products are sold responsibly at breweries, liquor stores, and licensed retailers across the state, and industry analyses warn the federal cap would wipe out the overwhelming majority of them, threatening thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity nationwide — much of it here in Minnesota.
The one silver lining in the 2025 law was its delayed effective date. Congress gave the country a year to get this right. That year is almost up.
Big News from Washington: The Bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act
Which brings us to the most encouraging development yet. On July 22, 2026, Representatives Andy Barr (R-KY) and Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced the bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act, comprehensive federal legislation that would repeal the looming ban and replace it with a national regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumer products. You can read the U.S. Hemp Roundtable's full breakdown of the bill for the details.
This is the "regulate, don't prohibit" approach our industry has been asking for since day one — and according to the Roundtable, even the White House has urged Congress to replace the ban with a strong regulatory framework. Momentum is real.
What the Bill Would Do
Rather than outlawing products, the Lawful Hemp Protection Act builds the guardrails responsible operators have long supported. It would scrap the unworkable 0.4 mg-per-container standard and instead direct the FDA to set science-based serving limits through formal rulemaking — with a sensible default of 5 milligrams of THC per serving for ingestible products if the agency does not act within a year. The bill also lays out national consumer protections: standardized labeling and packaging, mandatory 21+ age verification, a requirement that products come exclusively from hemp grown and processed in the United States, and a clear prohibition on synthetic and artificially modified cannabinoids. Manufacturers and beverage wholesalers would operate under federal permitting and oversight, compliant products could move in interstate commerce, and states would retain the right to adopt stricter rules of their own.
Notice what that list looks like: testing, transparency, age gates, American-grown sourcing, and a hard line against synthetics. It reads like the compliance playbook Minnesota's legitimate hemp beverage makers — 23rd State included — have been following voluntarily for years.
Why Rep. Craig's Leadership Matters for Minnesota
It is fitting that one of the bill's two lead sponsors is Minnesota's own Rep. Angie Craig, the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, who has said from the start that a durable fix would have to move through the legislative process with genuine bipartisan support. That is exactly what this bill represents. Minnesota pioneered sensible, state-level hemp beverage regulation. Now a Minnesotan is helping lead the effort to bring that model to the country.
How 23rd State Is Championing Repeal
We do not just write blog posts about this fight — we are in it. 23rd State is a named plaintiff in a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop Section 781 from taking effect, standing alongside industry partners to argue that a de facto ban enacted without hearings deserves its day in court. Leah continues to advocate through industry coalitions, media interviews, and direct outreach to lawmakers, and our team supports every federal action campaign urging Congress to choose regulation over prohibition.
Our name is a reminder of why we do this. Minnesota was the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis — proof that thoughtful policy can replace prohibition when lawmakers listen to their communities. We built this brand on that belief, and on the conviction that adults 21 and older deserve tested, transparent, low-dose options made by people who take compliance seriously. You can explore more of our policy and education coverage anytime on the 23rd State education blog.
What You Can Do Right Now
The next four months will decide whether Minnesota's hemp beverage industry gets a workable federal framework or a shutdown. Here is how to help. First, read and share the Star Tribune's coverage — visibility creates urgency. Second, contact your U.S. Representative and ask them to cosponsor the Lawful Hemp Protection Act; the U.S. Hemp Roundtable's Federal Action Center makes it a two-minute task. Third, keep supporting regulated, compliant, Minnesota-made brands. Every purchase from a licensed, age-verified retailer is a vote for the model this legislation would protect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Section 781?
Section 781 is a provision in the fiscal year 2026 agriculture appropriations law, passed in November 2025, that redefines federal hemp rules and caps total THC at 0.4 milligrams per container for hemp-derived products — a threshold low enough to function as a ban on most hemp-derived THC beverages and edibles sold today.
When does the federal hemp ban take effect?
The restrictions are scheduled to take effect on November 12, 2026, one year after the law was signed. Until then, compliant hemp-derived products remain legal under existing federal law and Minnesota state law.
What would the Lawful Hemp Protection Act change?
The bipartisan bill from Reps. Andy Barr and Angie Craig would repeal the 0.4 mg-per-container cap, direct the FDA to set science-based serving limits, add federal labeling and 21+ age-verification requirements, ban synthetic cannabinoids, require American-grown hemp, and preserve interstate commerce for compliant products — regulation instead of prohibition.
Are THC beverages still legal in Minnesota right now?
Yes. Hemp-derived THC beverages remain legal for adults 21 and older in Minnesota under state law, which has regulated these products since 2022 with per-serving dosage caps, lab testing, and labeling requirements.
How can I help repeal the federal hemp ban?
Contact your U.S. Representative and ask them to cosponsor the Lawful Hemp Protection Act — the U.S. Hemp Roundtable's Federal Action Center makes it quick. Sharing credible local coverage, like the Star Tribune's reporting, and supporting licensed, compliant Minnesota hemp brands also keeps pressure on Congress to act before November 12, 2026.
23rd State products are intended for adults 21 and older. Keep out of reach of children. Do not drive or operate machinery after use. Our products comply with applicable state law and contain hemp-derived cannabinoids. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.
