Former Trump DHS Official Urges Congress To Preserve Hemp THC Ban, Cites Chinese Criminal Infiltration Risk

Chad Wolf, acting DHS secretary from late 2019 to early 2021, asked the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party to probe Chinese-linked actors' role in hemp-derived THC products and illegal marijuana operations, writing to Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) that such products are "putting our youth and adults at risk." Wolf said the market grew from a narrow hemp-legalization effort into an unregulated trade in high-potency THC gummies, candies, beverages and vapes packaged to appeal to children, lacking age limits, labeling or safety standards. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp with under 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight; a law Trump signed late last year limits legal products to 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container starting November 12. The White House and lawmakers want that delayed or reversed. OMB Director Russell Vought asked House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) last month for "fair treatment of hemp products," including bills keeping products legal and adding labeling and taxes. Wolf, now executive director of the America First Policy Institute, called that a mistake, warning it "would not only undermine public health and law enforcement objectives, but could further embolden foreign criminal actors." He linked China to fentanyl exports and urged the panel to probe Chinese financing, manufacturing and money laundering in the THC hemp trade. A separate OMB statement last month on the agriculture spending bill likewise sought to redefine hemp-derived cannabinoid products to preserve CBD access while restricting risky items; related amendments were blocked by the House Rules Committee or withdrawn. In April, Trump posted on Truth Social pushing to preserve CBD access, saying one in five adults use it for chronic-pain relief. That month, following his December executive order on hemp CBD research led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administration launched a Medicare program covering up to $500 yearly in hemp products, including up to 3 milligrams of THC per serving, for seniors. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) is circulating the Hemp-Derived Beverage Regulatory Clarity Act, letting adults 21 and older buy hemp THC drinks with up to 5 milligrams of delta-9 THC per serving, taxed at 10 cents per milligram of cannabinoid. The National Restaurant Association wants the ban delayed for safety rules. USDA reported in April that farmers grew $739 million worth of hemp in 2025, up 64 percent from the prior year.