Sep 21, 2026 · 9 min
Hemp-THC crackdown puts farmers and businesses on the brink
How Hemp-THC businesses are bracing for a near total ban
A looming federal ban could reshape a fast-growing market, eliminate jobs and tax revenue, and limit options for both recreational and medical users.
- 1Tennessee’s state restrictions have pushed hemp farmers toward blackberries, corn, prepared food, and industrial fiber crops.
- 2A federal ban could disrupt nationwide supply chains that make hemp-derived THC cheaper than state-by-state marijuana products.
- 3Farmers support curbing recreational products but worry tighter rules will leave medical CBD users without suitable alternatives.
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Lee Crabtree describes replacing CBD hemp with blackberries and corn, while his family tests prepared food to replace lost income.
The brief
The 2018 Farm Bill created a loophole for hemp-derived THC products, but a forthcoming federal ban now threatens the market built around it.
In Tennessee, reporter Mariana Bacayau visits farmer Lee Crabtree, who replaced CBD hemp with blackberries and corn while his family experiments with prepared food.
Lawmakers say tighter rules are needed to clarify how intoxicating these products are; farmers and companies counter that the crackdown has caused layoffs, closures, and costly moves.
Economist Beau Whitney calls the federal ban an extinction-level event, warning that it could dismantle supply chains and put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.
The episode ends with an unresolved tradeoff: curbing recreational hemp derivatives may also reduce access for medical CBD users and consumers who replaced alcohol with THC products.
Tennessee
North CarolinaListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.