GOP Lawmakers Move to Ban Intoxicating Hemp Products in Wisconsin

23 September 2025

Wisconsin lawmakers are moving to restrict intoxicating hemp products that have become a fixture in stores and taprooms. A bill led by Rep. Lindee Brill seeks to redefine hemp in state law and ban sales of psychoactive cannabinoids derived from hemp, closing what sponsors call a “THC loophole” created by state statutes and the 2018 federal Farm Bill’s 0.3 percent delta-9 THC threshold. Co-sponsors include Reps. Jim Piwowarczyk, Chuck Wichgers, Bob Donovan, and Sen. Chris Kapenga.

Brill said the proposal preserves non-drug uses of hemp such as fiber, paper, seed oil, and grain, but would prohibit mind-altering products including beverages, edibles, vapes, oils, and THCA flower. Sponsors referenced reports of increased poisonings among young children associated with delta-8 products and warned of long-term cognitive risks. The lawmakers described their measure as a common-sense corrective. No committee hearings are scheduled yet.

Retailers and growers said the bill would remove most of their top-selling items and could devastate small businesses. Shop owners reported investing in USDA licensing and third-party lab testing, and argued that regulated storefronts offer safer products than unregulated alternatives. Some warned that a ban would shift sales to a black market. Wisconsin, which permits only CBD oil under narrow rules and has not legalized adult-use cannabis, has seen strong demand for hemp-derived THC drinks served on tap and other intoxicating hemp products.

Policymakers in other states have confronted similar questions:

• Texas’ governor vetoed a bill criminalizing certain hemp items, citing concerns that a comparable Arkansas law faced likely federal preemption under the Farm Bill.
• In Washington, federal proposals would restrict many hemp-derived intoxicants.

Wisconsin’s debate now centers on whether to enact a state-level prohibition or to maintain access while addressing safety, labeling, and youth exposure.

• For consumers, the bill would significantly reduce product availability if enacted.
• For businesses, it would alter revenue mix and could prompt layoffs or closures.
• For regulators and legislators, the measure tests how state law interacts with federal hemp definitions while responding to public health concerns.