Sen. Mitch McConnell closed a loophole in a hemp law he championed. Now a $28 billion THC industry that gets people high is fighting for survival

A hemp-based THC industry worth $28 billion is facing potential extinction after Congress enacted a ban on products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container. Senator Mitch McConnell, who once championed the legalization of industrial hemp, inserted the ban into a measure that ended the longest government shutdown in history.

The ban, which goes into effect in December, threatens to reduce retail revenues by $28.3 billion, displace 225,000 jobs, and cut $2.1 billion in state sales tax potential, according to a market analysis by Whitney Economics. The industry hopes to save itself by limiting the sale of impairing products to people 21 and older, restricting the amount of THC in each package, and banning imported cannabis compounds.

However, the 0.4 milligram limit would likely ban even non-impairing CBD products, such as topical lotions, according to Jonathan Miller, general counsel of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable. Some hemp product manufacturers are considering alternative work or accepting job losses. The regulated legal marijuana industry and some alcohol retailers have come out in support of the ban, while opponents argue that the ban will negatively impact many more people who rely on hemp products for their livelihoods.