Statement: Public health, medical groups applaud Congress for closing loophole that flooded Maine with intoxicating hemp products

For Immediate Release: Friday, November 14, 2025

Contact: Matt Wellington (mwellington@mainepublichealth.org), 845-591-5646

Statement: Public health, medical groups applaud Congress for closing loophole that flooded Maine with intoxicating hemp products 

AUGUSTA – The government funding bill passed by Congress on Wednesday closed a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill that launched a slew of intoxicating hemp products in Maine and across the country. Many of the intoxicating hemp products, including seltzers and other drinks, mirror the effects of cannabis, but they are not subject to the same regulations. The new law sets a cap on the amount of THC allowed in hemp, effectively ending the sale of intoxicating hemp products.

The Maine Public Health Association, Maine Medical Association, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Maine Osteopathic Association issued the following statement in response:

“In recent years we’ve seen an explosion in unregulated, intoxicating hemp products across Maine. Due to the lack of oversight, it’s been too easy for young people to get their hands on them, and since they've been sold alongside non-intoxicating products, adults sometimes don't even realize the drink they're buying at the gas station isn't a harmless seltzer, but actually an intoxicating beverage.

We’re grateful to Congress for closing this loophole that risked public health and safety. We continue to support common sense guardrails on cannabis products to protect consumers, and prevent youth use."                              

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Maine Public Health Association works to advance the health of all people and places in Maine.