AHAA Weekly Policy Report: March 18, 2026
This week's report tracks 120 bills and regulatory actions across hemp, marijuana, kratom, and tobacco sectors. The hemp section below covers the most critical developments of the past seven days, including a Senate committee vote advancing Missouri's market elimination bill, two new regulatory actions in Alabama and Oklahoma, a significant revenue redirect in Tennessee, and continued movement on the Kentucky framework proposals. The complete report covers marijuana, Farm Bill, and additional alternative wellness legislation.
Hemp Regulatory Developments
Missouri HB 2641: Voted Do Pass in Senate Committee
Status: Voted Do Pass, Senate Committee, March 11, 2026
Missouri's most dangerous hemp bill cleared its Senate committee this week with a Do Pass vote. HB 2641 would require all hemp-derived cannabinoid sales to take place inside licensed marijuana dispensaries, effectively eliminating independent hemp retail in the state. This is not a new licensing category for hemp retailers. It is a requirement that they cease to exist as independent businesses or operate inside a marijuana framework they have no access to.
The bill now moves toward a Senate floor vote. SB 904, its companion measure pursuing the same outcome, remains on the Informal Calendar for perfection. Both bills are live threats. Missouri hemp retailers and distributors should be contacting their state senators directly this week. The window to influence this outcome is closing.
See Smart Summary of MO SB 904
Missouri HB 2765: Reported Do Pass in House
Status: Reported Do Pass, House Committee, March 10, 2026
HB 2765, Missouri's hemp beverage licensing bill, also moved forward this week with a Do Pass report from its House committee. The bill would create a dedicated licensing structure for hemp beverage manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, with a 7% excise tax on retail sales and age-21 restrictions. Products with THC above 0.3% would be prohibited under this framework. While less aggressive than HB 2641, both bills are advancing simultaneously. The combined effect could severely narrow the market for independent hemp operators in Missouri.
See Smart Summary of MO HB 2765
Kentucky HB 895 and HB 896: Referred to Licensing Committee
Status: Both Referred to Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee, March 11, 2026 (House)
Kentucky's two companion hemp framework bills moved to the House Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations Committee this week. HB 895 would establish a new Department of Psychoactive Substances to oversee hemp and cannabis licensing, testing, and retail. HB 896 declares an emergency and establishes operational standards for transportation, lab accreditation, and direct-shipping rules for hemp products. Both bills represent a regulation-forward model, distinguishing hemp from marijuana and building state infrastructure for the industry rather than routing hemp through marijuana channels. Committee referral is a routine procedural step; industry members in Kentucky should engage now while the bills are in committee.
Alabama HB 590: Hemp Sales Expanded to Pharmacies and Retail Food Stores
Status: First Reading, Referred to House Health Committee, March 10, 2026
Alabama HB 590 would allow pharmacies licensed by the Alabama Board of Pharmacy to sell consumable hemp products to consumers 21 and older without requiring separate licensing from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Sales would need to be supervised by a licensed pharmacist or trained employee. The bill also modifies regulations for retail food stores and other retail establishments, enabling them to sell certain hemp products, including beverages, with the appropriate license and display requirements. If enacted, the bill takes effect June 1, 2026. This is an access-expansion bill in a state that has historically been restrictive, and it is worth watching.
Oklahoma HB 4248: Age Restriction on Hemp Beverages Moves to Senate
Status: Referred for Engrossment, March 10, 2026
Oklahoma HB 4248 passed the House and has been referred for engrossment, moving it toward the Senate. The bill prohibits the sale of hemp-containing beverages to individuals under 21, with an effective date of November 1, 2026. The bill has a 73% forecast for House passage and 80% for Senate passage. This is a narrow age-restriction measure rather than a ban, and it sets a compliance standard that most responsible hemp retailers are already following. Oklahoma hemp operators should verify their current age verification practices are in order ahead of the November effective date.
Tennessee: Hemp Revenue Redirect and Recordkeeping Bills Both Advance
TN HB 1979 / SB 2062: Placed on Health Committee Calendar, March 17, 2026
TN HB 1503 / SB 1761: Placed on Judiciary Committee Calendar, March 18, 2026
Two Tennessee hemp bills advanced to committee calendars this week. HB 1979 and its Senate companion SB 2062, the Promising Futures Act, would redirect a substantial portion of revenue from hemp-derived cannabinoid product taxes and fees into a new child care assistance fund. The House bill is scheduled for Health Committee review today, March 18. The Senate version goes to Health and Welfare on the same date. While the bill does not restrict hemp access, it redirects revenue away from general fund purposes and sets a precedent for using hemp tax collections as dedicated social spending. Both versions carry 95% passage forecasts in both chambers.
HB 1503 and SB 1761, which would extend hemp recordkeeping requirements from five to ten years, are advancing on a parallel track with near-unanimous forecast support and are now calendared for Judiciary review.
What This Means for the Industry
Missouri is the most urgent story this week. HB 2641 clearing a Senate committee is a concrete step toward a floor vote, and SB 904 remains positioned for perfection at any time. Any business that sells hemp-derived products in Missouri and has not yet contacted their state senator should do so before next week's report.
The Alabama and Oklahoma developments are worth tracking as examples of what state-level regulation can look like when it targets specific risks, age access and retail channel alignment, without eliminating the market. Tennessee's revenue redirect is a different kind of signal: hemp is generating enough tax revenue that legislators are treating it as a funding source. That is actually a sign of market legitimacy, and the industry should frame it that way.
South Carolina's H 4758 saw no new action this week. The next scheduled floor debate is March 24. That deadline has not changed.
Members operating in multiple product categories should review the complete tracking report for comprehensive state-specific updates.
See the Full Weekly Policy Report Here
Take Action
Missouri: HB 2641 passed Senate committee. A floor vote is coming. Contact your state senator now. Tell them independent hemp retail is not the same as marijuana retail, and should not be regulated as if it is.
South Carolina: Floor debate on H 4758 resumes March 24. One week remains to reach your House representative. Constituent contact before a floor vote carries more weight than contact after one.
Take action with SCHAA
Kentucky: HB 895 and HB 896 are in the Licensing Committee. If you operate in Kentucky, engage now while the framework is still being shaped.
Prepared by the American Healthy Alternatives Association
Tracking hemp policy nationwide to keep our industry informed.
