The hemp industry is bracing for some possible federal changes.
It's a $200 million dollar industry in Minnesota, and there and across 38 other states and territories, it is facing potential collapse over proposed federal changes to limit THC products.
A letter from Attorney General Keith Ellison and 38 other attorneys general seeks to stop "unregulated, cross-state internet sales of cannabis."
"Unless Congress acts, this gross distortion of the 2018 Farm Bill’s hemp provision will continue to fuel the rapid growth of an underregulated industry that threatens public health and safety and undermines law enforcement nationwide," the letter reads in part.
The letter does confirm their intent is not to ban legal, in-state hemp products, but industry leaders fear losing 95% of their business under the new rules.
The letter mainly focuses on "synthetic" THC found in edibles and drinks, which is a rapidly growing market where Minnesota has become a Midwest leader.
Businesses are now advocating for an 18-month delay on any changes to properly study the economic impact of the new rules.
The National Association of Attorney Generals says "bad actors have exploited" the definition to hemp due to a perceived loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill.
"These products are being manufactured and sold without consistent age restrictions, labeling standards, or safety requirements,," says the group of attorneys general. "In some states, poison control centers have reported alarming increases in pediatric exposures to these substances."
The letter was co-sponsored by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Attorneys general of the following states and territories joined the bipartisan coalition: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.