LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Workers at Cornbread Hemp, a Louisville-based company, filled boxes with THC gummies and seltzers on Monday but those products could soon become illegal under a proposal in Congress.
"Everything we've built here at Cornbread Hemp is at risk," said Jim Higdon, co-founder of the company.
Cornbread Hemp was named Kentucky’s fastest-growing business by Inc. 5000 last year.
Cornbread’s success stems from the 2018 Farm Bill, championed by Sen. Mitch McConnell, which legalized hemp products containing less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC.
"Hemp is providing a promise to family farms in Kentucky — a new reason to farm for the next generation," Higdon said.
A study from Whitney Economics found that Kentucky’s hemp industry employs nearly 3,500 people. Those jobs could be in jeopardy if Congress passes a bill banning hemp products that contain THC.
"It would eliminate an industry," said Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.
McConnell, who helped legalize hemp, said the agriculture appropriations bill aims to close a loophole that allows children to access intoxicating hemp products disguised as snacks.
"Products more potent than marijuana can be bought off the shelf of a gas station," McConnell said.
"We've been asking for regulations from the FDA and Congress," Higdon said.
Industry leaders acknowledge that some bad actors exist but argue that prohibition is not the answer.
"The answer is not to ban these products — it’s to regulate them," Miller said.
Since the 2018 Farm Bill, the federal government has largely left regulation to the states. In Kentucky, hemp products are registered through the Department for Public Health, and hemp beverages are regulated by Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Higdon said several Kentucky lawmakers support his business, and he’s holding out hope that Cornbread Hemp won’t be forced to shut down.
"To have that pulled out from under us is worse than unfair — it’s unfathomable," he said.
For now, Cornbread Hemp is in wait-and-see mode. The bill could pass as soon as the government reopens.
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