Few people have spent more time in Washington advocating for hemp than Geoff Whaling. Over the past decade, the former Canopy Growth hemp executive has been a prominent voice in hemp policy discussions, working with lawmakers, congressional staff, federal agencies, and industry organizations during the development of the 2014, 2018, and now the 2026 Farm Bill and through the regulatory debates that followed.

Now, rather than waiting for Congress to write the next hemp bill, Whaling and the National Hemp Association have joined forces with industry leaders and drafted one themselves: the Goodness of Hemp Act, a comprehensive proposal that addresses industrial hemp, cannabinoids, food and feed, beverages, research, manufacturing, and regulatory oversight for the CMS program established by the President’s EO earlier this year which will also be affected by the McConnell act that goes into effect November 13, 2026.

The organization has spent months drafting the legislation, now in its 10th version, while also seeking support for the proposal and meeting with lawmakers to secure congressional sponsors. Whaling said the goal is to present members of Congress with a proposal that has already been shaped by industry input.

More Than a Beverage Bill

Although hemp beverages are included in the proposal, Whaling says they were never the primary reason for writing it.

“The intoxicating side has dominated the conversation,” he said. “Meanwhile, we’ve lost sight of the tremendous opportunity hemp offers as an agricultural commodity.”

For the past several years, the National Hemp Association has intentionally shifted much of its advocacy back toward industrial hemp, focusing on fiber, grain, food, feed, construction materials, and manufacturing. Whaling believes those markets represent the long-term future of hemp in the United States. He argues that the industry cannot allow the debate over intoxicating cannabinoids to overshadow hemp’s broader agricultural potential.

At the same time, he acknowledges cannabinoid products aren’t going away.

Instead of ignoring them, he says Congress needs to establish clear rules that separate responsible businesses from what he calls the “gas station weed” market that has developed under today’s patchwork of state laws.

“The bad actors have hurt all of us,” Whaling said. “If we don’t create a regulated marketplace, they continue to define the industry.”

Designing a Bill That Can Move Through Congress

As cannabinoid products came to dominate the federal hemp debate, the NHA concluded that any comprehensive hemp legislation would also need to address that market.

The Goodness of Hemp Act covers industrial hemp, food and feed, cannabinoids, consumer products, research, manufacturing, and regulatory oversight.

Rather than creating a single package that would need to move through every issue area at once, the proposal was structured so individual sections could advance independently if necessary.

Because hemp policy falls under several congressional committees (Ag, Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Banking), Whaling said the bill was designed with that in mind. Instead of requiring lawmakers to pass one massive piece of legislation, The Goodness of Hemp could be broken into separate legislative bills, such as cannabinoid regulation, industrial hemp, food and feed, low-dose beverages, or research, through the appropriate committees. Whaling estimates that the proposal could ultimately involve as many as six congressional committees, both the House and the Senate.

“It was designed that way from the beginning,” he explained. “If one section is ready to move before another, it can.”

The organization has also spent months developing legislative language and meeting with lawmakers in search of congressional sponsors.

“We’re shopping it around,” he said. “The goal is to put something in front of members that they’ve already had input on and understand.”

Building a Beverage Market Congress Will Support

Whaling believes hemp beverages can survive federal scrutiny, but only if the industry accepts a regulatory framework that lawmakers are willing to support.

Drawing on years of conversations with members of Congress and their staffs, he said many of the industry’s proposals simply ask for too much too soon.

That’s one reason the Goodness of Hemp Act proposes a 3.7 mg THC per 8 oz container, a provision that has drawn criticism from some in the hemp industry who argue the cap is too restrictive. The proposed limit would significantly reduce the THC levels allowed in many hemp beverages currently on the market.

“I caught a lot of heat for that,” Whaling acknowledged. But he said the limit wasn’t based on what the industry wanted. It reflected what he believes Congress might actually accept, based on science.

In fact, Whaling said discussions with Senate Republican leadership gave him reason to believe there is a path forward for properly regulated hemp beverages.

“Mitch McConnell won’t stand in the way,” Whaling said, explaining that McConnell’s staff indicated to him that the senator would not oppose a regulated pathway for low-dose cannabinoid products. McConnell would not be the lead sponsor of such a bill.

That’s why he argues the industry’s future depends on creating a regulatory structure that can win enough support in Congress to keep the category alive.

What About November 12?

Whaling also weighed in on the federal changes scheduled to take effect on November 13, which could dramatically reshape the hemp-derived cannabinoid market.

Like many in the industry, he recognizes the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming changes. But he doesn’t believe the industry can rely on delaying or defeating each new proposal that comes through Congress.

Instead, he argues the industry needs to offer lawmakers a workable alternative.

The Goodness of Hemp Act is intended to be that alternative, providing Congress with a comprehensive framework rather than forcing lawmakers to choose between today’s largely unregulated market and an outright ban.

For beverage companies, the outcome could determine whether the category moves into a regulated marketplace or faces significant restrictions.

Whether Congress adopts the proposal remains to be seen, but Whaling believes the industry has reached a point where simply reacting to legislation is no longer enough.

“If we don’t help write the legislation and rules,” he said, “someone else will.”

He believes the future of hemp depends on creating a regulatory system that protects consumers, respects the science, bans conversions, removes bad actors, and gives legitimate businesses a path forward. It also means ensuring hemp is recognized as more than an intoxicating cannabinoid category and restoring true industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity.