If you have been following our farm updates, you know that a massive threat is looming over the North Carolina hemp industry. On November 12, a new federal law is set to take effect that will cap all hemp products at a microscopic 0.4mg of total THC per container.

Let us be clear: this will effectively ban the full-spectrum CBD oils, Soothe Icy Salves, and Delta-9 gummies that so many of you rely on for deep sleep and joint pain.

How did a law this destructive get passed? And more importantly, why are some politicians in Washington refusing to fix it before the November deadline? To understand that, you have to look past the political talking points and follow the money. And in North Carolina, a lot of that money leads directly to Representative Richard Hudson.

Here is why corporate lobbies are spending millions to kill farm-direct hemp, and how they use politicians like Rep. Hudson to do it.

The Pharma Connection

Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-09) is one of the most powerful politicians in Washington when it comes to healthcare. He sits on the highly influential House Energy and Commerce Committee, specifically the Health Subcommittee, which has direct jurisdiction over the FDA and healthcare legislation.

Because of that seat, Big Pharma opens their checkbooks for him.

• The Facts: According to campaign finance data tracked by the nonpartisan watchdog group OpenSecrets and the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Pharmaceuticals and Health Products industry is consistently one of Rep. Hudson’s top financial backers.

• The Motivation: Why does this matter for hemp? Because full-spectrum hemp is a massive, natural competitor to prescription painkillers, synthetic muscle relaxers, and sleeping pills. When veterans and chronic pain patients switch to our farm-grown CBD, Big Pharma loses a customer. They have a vested financial interest in making sure natural, non-addictive alternatives are heavily restricted or banned entirely.  The proposed Rescheduling of Cannabis to Schedule 3 is part of the plan to make CBD and THC Pharma products, and take them away from you and me.

The Alcohol Lobby

It isn’t just the pharmaceutical industry looking to crush the hemp market; the corporate alcohol lobby is right behind them.

• The Facts: Rep. Hudson is the Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). This makes him the lead fundraiser for the House GOP. Major alcohol lobbies, specifically the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) PAC, routinely funnel millions of dollars into party leadership and congressional committees to ensure they have the ear of the people in charge.

• The Motivation: Alcohol distributors operate on a strict, government-mandated monopoly (the three-tier system). Hemp-infused beverages—like our refreshing Kühlt & Sweltzer—bypass that monopoly. People are increasingly choosing a relaxing, hangover-free hemp beverage over a six-pack of beer. Instead of competing fairly, the alcohol distribution lobby uses its massive war chest to push politicians to regulate hemp beverages out of existence.

Your Healthcare, Your Choice

At Rocky River Hemp, we believe in the American right to choose. If you are a veteran dealing with service-related injuries, or a senior managing Post-Polio Syndrome, you should have the absolute right to choose a natural, plant-based remedy grown by a local farmer over a synthetic pill pushed by a pharmaceutical corporation.

When politicians take massive campaign checks from the industries that profit off your pain, they stop representing the citizens and start representing the shareholders. The November hemp ban wasn’t written to protect you; it was written to protect corporate monopolies.

What You Can Do Today

We have until November to force Congress to amend this law and save full-spectrum hemp. We need you to remind Rep. Hudson and the rest of the North Carolina delegation who they actually work for.

Take Action Now: Call Rep. Richard Hudson’s office or your local representative today. Tell them you are a North Carolina voter, you support local hemp farmers, and you demand they fix the federal hemp regulations before the November ban takes effect.

Stand with the farm. Protect your right to choose.

— Sam