The end of the federal shutdown also brings an unexpected side effect: a nationwide ban on hemp products that get people high.

As Congress took action to resume government operations, the legislation included a late provision to ban intoxicating hemp products, which would largely eliminate an industry that’s been estimated to generate sales of nearly $3 billion annually. Hemp businesses have been criticized for, in some cases, selling untested, mislabeled and potentially hazardous products to minors and adults, resulting in warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The federal action comes after Illinois lawmakers, caught between the licensed cannabis industry, which favored a ban, and hemp businesses, which sought regulation, failed to act on the issue.

Gov. JB Pritzke

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