Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is making a urgent appeal to Congress to prevent a looming federal crackdown that threatens to wipe out the state’s thriving hemp industry. Under federal legislation set to take effect later this year, the definition of hemp will undergo a drastic shift, effectively banning most hemp-derived THC products by capping allowed levels at a fraction of a milligram per container. In a letter to Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, Evers urged federal lawmakers to step in through the upcoming Farm Bill or standalone legislation to protect an industry that generates over $700 million in local economic activity and supports more than 3,500 state jobs.
The fight highlights the unique economic stakes for states that have yet to embrace full adult-use cannabis legalization. Because Wisconsin’s Republican-led legislature has repeatedly stalled efforts to establish a legal recreational or medical marijuana market, hemp-derived cannabinoids have become a crucial economic lifeline for both rural farmers seeking crop diversification and consumers seeking legal alternatives. Evers warned that without immediate congressional intervention to establish a sensible, science-based regulatory framework, hundreds of licensed local producers could be forced to shutter operations, triggering mass layoffs and severe economic disruption across rural communities.
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