Illinois Hemp Farmers Express Worries Over New Bill Ending Government Shutdown

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The recent legislation that averted a government shutdown has introduced significant challenges for the hemp industry in Illinois, raising alarm among local producers.

Stacy McCaskill, who owns Hempstock Pharms in Illinois, has expressed concern over a specific clause in the bill, which prohibits hemp products containing more than 0.4% THC. Her farm offers a wide array of products, from therapeutic lotions to smokable items, though only 30 to 40% of these are intended for psychoactive effects.

Despite this, McCaskill foresees severe repercussions for her business due to the ban.

“It is going to crush CBD health-based formulators and businesses,” McCaskill remarked. “It’s basically made 95% of my products illegal.”

Even though farming hemp for clothing and fiber would still be legal, McCaskill said the U.S. lacks the infrastructure to do so.

“It would be like telling a tomato farmer to start growing corn,” said McCaskill.

McCaskill said the hemp farming community is reaching out to state and federal representatives to see if there’s any legislation that could keep their businesses alive.

Otherwise, she said many businesses like hers will close shop next November, when a grace period ends and hemp products become illegal.

“We make this oil that I talk about,” McCaskill said. “This oil becomes illegal. I can’t put it into anything. So it just completely crushed hemp farming for cannabinoids. That’s over because there’s nothing we can do with the product.”