If you've seen headlines about a "hemp ban" this year, you're not imagining things — and we're not going to pretend it isn't happening. A real, significant change to federal hemp law takes effect on November 12, 2026, and it will affect nearly every hemp-derived THC product on the market, Hi-Snaps included.
We'd rather explain this to you plainly, now, than have you find out secondhand later. Here's exactly what's changing, why it's happening, what it means for Illinois and Chicago specifically, and what we're doing about it.
The Short Version
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Hemp has been federally legal since the 2018 Farm Bill, which defined it as cannabis with no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight.
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A new federal law, signed in November 2025, replaces that standard with a total-THC cap of 0.4 milligrams per container, effective November 12, 2026.
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Most hemp-derived THC beverages on the market today — including most in our category — contain more than 0.4mg of THC per serving, which means the category as a whole has to adapt.
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Illinois is aligning its own state hemp law to take effect the same day.
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We're watching this closely, planning ahead, and we'll keep you updated here as our own plans firm up.
How We Got Here: The 2018 Farm Bill
The modern hemp industry — CBD, Delta-8, Delta-9 beverages, all of it — exists because of the 2018 Farm Bill. That law defined "hemp" as cannabis containing 0.3% Delta-9 THC or less by dry weight, and declared that hemp meeting that definition was no longer a controlled substance. It was a huge, if somewhat accidental, opening: because 0.3% is a percentage of a plant's dry weight, not a per-serving dose, it left room for products with a meaningful amount of THC per serving, as long as the math worked out. That's the loophole the entire hemp beverage and edible category — including brands like ours — has operated inside of for years.
What's Changing on November 12, 2026
In November 2025, Congress passed a new law that closes that loophole. Instead of measuring hemp by a percentage of dry weight, the new law measures total THC per container — including related compounds like THCA, not just Delta-9 — and caps it at 0.4 milligrams. That's a dramatically lower bar. Most hemp beverages and edibles on shelves today, including products with 2.5mg to 10mg of THC per serving, exceed it many times over.
In plain terms: the rule that made products like Hi-Snaps possible is being replaced with a much narrower one, and the whole category — not just us — has to figure out what compliant products look like on the other side of November 12.
What This Means for Illinois and Chicago Specifically
Because we're based in Chicago, we know a lot of you are too, so here's what's specifically true for Illinois as of this writing:
Illinois: Illinois currently follows the federal 0.3%-by-dry-weight standard, with no separate statewide per-serving THC cap. That's changing. The Illinois legislature has passed its own hemp law (an update folding intoxicating hemp products into the state's existing cannabis licensing and retail framework), timed to take effect the same day as the federal change — November 12, 2026. What that means in practice for how hemp beverages are sold in Illinois afterward — through which retail channels, under what licensing — is still being worked out at the state level. Several additional Illinois bills addressing hemp beverages specifically are also active and could move quickly.
Chicago: A proposed city ordinance that would have further restricted hemp product retail sales in Chicago was vetoed in February 2026, and the veto override failed — so there is currently no additional Chicago-specific restriction beyond state and federal law. This is a genuinely fast-moving area, though, so we wouldn't be surprised to see it revisited.
What We're Doing About It
We started paying close attention to this months before it became a headline, because we'd rather plan than react. That means we're actively:
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Evaluating what a fully compliant product line looks like under the new total-THC framework
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Talking with our formulation and compliance partners about our options well before the deadline
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Making sure we're never caught flat-footed or forced into a rushed, worse version of Hi-Snaps
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Committing to being straightforward with you as our plans take shape, rather than going quiet and hoping no one notices
We don't have every answer yet — nobody in this category does, because the rule is brand new and enforcement details are still being worked out even at the federal level. What we do have is a plan to stay ahead of it, and a commitment to keep this page (and you) updated as that plan develops.
What You Can Do
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Bookmark this page — we'll update it as things change, rather than publishing a new post every time there's news.
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If you're a subscriber, keep an eye on our emails for direct updates before anything changes with your orders.
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If you're unsure whether hemp-derived THC is currently legal where you live, check our [state-by-state guide], and remember that our checkout will always tell you if we can't currently ship to your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this mean Hi-Snaps is going away?
No. It means the category is changing, and we're planning for that change rather than ignoring it. We'll have more specifics to share as our plans firm up.
What's the actual difference between the old rule and the new one?
The old rule (2018 Farm Bill) measured hemp by THC as a percentage of the plant's dry weight — 0.3% or less. The new rule, effective November 12, 2026, instead caps total THC per container at 0.4 milligrams, counting related compounds like THCA as well as Delta-9. It's a fundamentally different way of measuring, and a much lower ceiling in practice.
Is hemp-derived Delta-9 THC still legal right now?
Yes — as of today, the 2018 Farm Bill standard is still in effect. The new rule doesn't take effect until November 12, 2026.
Will this affect orders I place before November 12, 2026?
No. Any order placed and fulfilled under current law is unaffected by a future rule change.
How can I stay updated?
This page will be kept current as things develop, and subscribers will get direct email updates on anything that affects their orders or subscriptions.