Iowa Companies Suing to Block New Hemp Industry Restrictions

A group of eight hemp companies in Iowa have filed a lawsuit to block the implementation of a new state law limiting the THC content in consumable hemp products, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reports.

The lawsuit argues that the new law requires companies to adhere to new regulations but the state has yet to establish said regulations, and they are not expected before June 17 at the soonest.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed the bill imposing THC caps on cannabinoid-infused hemp products last month. The new law — which is set to take effect on Monday, July 1 — caps THC content in hemp consumables at 4 milligrams per serving and 10 milligrams per container.

“The plaintiffs will be stuck in a regulatory limbo as of July 1, 2024. Critical phrases are not defined, specifications for how to comply with provisions are not provided, and the regulations intended to provide such definitions or instructions will not be promulgated until at least two weeks after the law goes into effect.” — Lawsuit excerpt via the Iowa Capital Dispatch

The lawsuit is the second legal challenge against the new Iowa hemp regulation law, the report said. Previously this month, two companies argued in a lawsuit that the federal legalization of hemp should pre-empt the state’s new restrictions. While that motion was recently denied by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Stephanie M. Rose due to a lack of evidence, the judge wrote in her ruling she has “serious concerns” that the vagueness of the new hemp law could be unconstitutional.

Specifically, Judge Rose wrote that the law aims to limit the amount of THC in a single serving without properly defining what a serving should be.

“It is unclear how this provision would be enforced,” she wrote.