Hemp No Longer Hemp
On November 12, 2025, President Trump signed the “Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act” (H.R. 5371). Section 781 effectively created a federal ban on intoxicating hemp‑derived THC products such as delta‑8, delta‑10, high‑THCA items, and certain synthetic cannabinoids.
There is a lot to this law but to put it in simple terms, it changed the definition of hemp which ultimately means that certain products considered to be legal today, will fall under the definition of marijuana (and therefore illegal under federal law) once the changes go into effect on November 12, 2026.
This could significantly impact financial institutions and their customers.
Kevin touched on this at our March AML/CFT Membership Group meeting. Hear what he had to say:
Published 2026/04/14
Kevin Edwards
Kevin brings years of experience and a unique perspective on regulatory matters to our clients. A self-proclaimed geek and accredited CRCM, Kevin is also a recovering attorney with experience as in-house counsel for a large regional bank and one of the leading national title insurance providers. For reasons unknown, Kevin decided to leave the safety and serenity of his desk job to seek fortune and glory as a wandering adventurer. Like a bank compliance version of Kwai Chang Caine, The Man with No Name or Don Quixote, he now travels the land seeking to help those in need and righting compliance wrongs, wherever he may find them. Kevin lives in Sioux Falls with his two children, who are surprisingly normal after having endured their father’s vivid imagination for their entire lives. He won’t admit to having any hobbies, because apparently “Regulations never sleep.” (While he does say this in his Batman voice, we’re pretty sure he’s joking.) From the looks of his Facebook page, he likes the outdoors and spending time with his large extended family (who seem like relatively normal people).