(WLUK) — Wisconsin lawmakers have proposed three bills to supersede a federal ban on hemp products set to kick in starting in November 2026.

1. A bill to ban hemp-derived products, essentially codifying the pending federal ban, proposed by Rep. Lindee Brill (R-Sheboygan Falls)
2. A bill to allow hemp-derived products but with regulations, proposed by Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander)
3. A bill to allow hemp-derived products but with regulations, not yet released by Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point)

Hemp was legalized as part of the Federal Farm Bill of 2018, resulting in an influx of smoke shops and hemp-derived products at convenience stores and gas stations. However, these items will be banned again a year from now unless a state bill, like the three listed above, is passed to supersede the federal ban.

Hemp industry, defined

• Cannabis: Plant grown containing THC, CBD, etc.
• Marijuana: Cannabis plant with concentration over 0.3% in weight of Delta-9 THC; illegal in Wisconsin
• Hemp: Cannabis plant with concentration of 0.3% or less in weight of Delta-9 THC; legal in Wisconsin (until November 2026)
• Delta-9 THC: Major psychoactive ingredient in cannabis
• Delta-9 THC products: Edibles, topical creams, drinks that include Delta-9 THC

Talking with a Plymouth hemp farmer

Craig Thran founded Three Tall Pines in Plymouth in 2019. It has grown to employ about 30 workers and distribute to around 200 retailers. Thran grows hemp, produces the products and distributes to retailers.

“I grew up on an apple orchard, and I’ve appreciated farming my whole life,” said Thran. “To be able to afford employees to help do what we love, I mean, that just brings us up over the edge. I mean, that’s what makes life enjoyable.”

Thran grows cannabis seasonally outdoors or year-round in greenhouses, then harvests it, dries it, cures it, processes it and turns it into a raw material.

In the case of a Delta-9 THC-infused drink or edible you find at a store, that’s isolated from the plant. It’s sent to a lab for testing to make sure the products can be labeled accurately, according to Thran, before being packaged and distributed to retailers.

“We want to handle everything from farming to producing to manufacturing to then packaging, warehousing,” said Thran. “And then handing that product over to the customer that we sold that to. And in most cases, it’s next day for us.”

It’s when the products land in the hands of retailers where concerns arise about who can access the product. Lawmakers like Swearingen say more regulation is needed.

“That’s number one is for safety,” said Swearingen. “We have to make it eligible at 21 years old.”

Thran agrees, as do some retailers. The Dispensary in Appleton, which also produces many of its products, testifies that it self-regulates.

“I mean, the biggest thing they push is that it’s being sold to children, that this is marketed towards children, and there’s definitely bad actors out there. That’s with any sort of business,” said Alex Hernandez, the assistant manager. “But strictly here, we’re 21+. We’re always checking IDs. We self-regulate on that rule. And also, our packaging, it’s going to strictly be just for the basic product itself. We’re not going to put anything flashy on it.”

Thran and Hernandez agree certain standards are needed — like on potency, consistent labeling and marketing — to eliminate the “bad actors.” But the devil is in the details and the financial interests, drawing one question: How should it be regulated?

FOX 11 breaks down the lawmakers’ proposals in part two of this story, airing Monday.