A bill to reopen the federal government contained a provision that brings sweeping changes to the legal definition of hemp, which could devastate some Illinois businesses.
According to CNBC, the bill closed a loophole in a 2018 piece of legislation that legalized hemp for industrial uses like rope, textiles and other products. A loophole allowed companies to extract THC from the legalized hemp, which was then put into gummies, drinks and vapes, among other products.
Now, that loophole is being closed, and the resulting legislation could result in the loss of thousands of jobs and could wipe out up to 95% of the hemp market, according to CNBC reporting.
The new ban would outlaw products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container, and would go into effect next year.

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