By Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury
U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA), representing Virginia's 7th District, toured Redfern Hemp Co. in Caroline County last Wednesday. Owner Graham Redfern employs 14 full-time and 5 part-time staff producing body creams, dog treats, chocolates, and gummies from hemp — most of which will become illegal later this year under a federal crackdown on hemp THC products.
Congress added the ban to a government spending bill last fall. The U.S. House passed a new Farm Bill last week — now heading to the Senate — but bipartisan efforts to reverse the hemp restrictions failed. The 2018 Farm Bill had opened the hemp market for products below a specific THC concentration; the new rules effectively ban most hemp products.
Redfern is exploring a pivot to hemp fibers to reduce microplastics in recycling and weighs entry into Virginia's cannabis retail market. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) is deciding whether to sign the bipartisan retail framework the legislature passed, half a decade after Virginia legalized recreational marijuana. She returned the bill with amendments that lawmakers rejected, leaving her to sign the original or veto it. She proposed delaying the market launch until July 2027; the state budget lapses July 1.
The bill's 20-mile radius requirement for agricultural, production, and commercial spaces is a barrier: Redfern's farm and storefront are in rural Caroline County while his commercial kitchen is in Richmond.
"I can't sell my farm and I don't want to build out another kitchen when I already have one," Redfern said. "I've been in this business for six years. That alone won't allow me to go in and take my current business model that's working and transition into the marijuana market. The problem is [the legislation] is also not giving me a pathway to even get there."
Redfern asked Vindman to advocate with Spanberger and push for Farm Bill adjustments. Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax), the House bill's author, expressed frustration with the governor's amendments but is open to future collaboration. Richmond restaurateur Jay Bayer of Bingo Beer, who partnered with Pure Shenandoah on THC seltzers, also hopes to pivot to marijuana-based products if Virginia's market opens. Vindman, who said his office has a friendly relationship with Spanberger, plans to relay Redfern's concerns.
"You're a constituent," Vindman said. "Let's see what is in the realm of possibility."