The White House is advocating for a delay in the enforcement of restrictions on intoxicating hemp products, a move that has drawn attention due to potential benefits for the family of President Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles. The proposed delay is part of a broader push by the administration to ease regulations on certain hemp-derived products containing psychoactive compounds, despite concerns about public health risks.

The delay has been included in a stopgap government spending bill that the Senate is currently negotiating in an effort to prevent a shutdown when funding expires at the end of September. This provision would postpone the implementation of a ban on intoxicating hemp products—such as gummies, beverages, and vapes containing THC—from the scheduled date of November 12 to December 11. The ban targets products with specific levels of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, and aims to prevent unregulated sales in convenience stores and vape shops. Fully synthetic THC products would still be banned under the current proposal.

Key players in the lobbying effort include Bret Worley, the CEO of companies distributing these hemp products and the son-in-law of Susie Wiles. Mr. Worley, who married Wiles’s daughter in June, operates companies primarily based in Texas and Colorado. Industry advocates view the proposed delay as a step toward eventual permanent legalization of intoxicating hemp products, with some companies signaling plans to seek supportive language in future legislation such as the farm bill.

While the White House frames its support as consistent with previous moves to relax cannabis regulations and as being in the public interest—especially for veterans and patients—critics see it differently. Drug policy expert Kevin Sabet characterized the move as an example of lobbying-driven policymaking rather than evidence-based decision-making. Public health officials have warned about the potential dangers of intoxicating hemp products, including risks of serious adverse effects such as difficulty breathing and coma.

The issue has sparked debate among lawmakers across party lines. Some senators, including Ted Budd of North Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, have voiced strong opposition to delaying the ban, citing concerns over health and safety, particularly for young people. Others, like Mark Warner of Virginia and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, have shown willingness to accept a short extension to facilitate the broader goal of keeping the government funded.

This controversy stems from a regulatory gap created by the 2018 farm bill, which legalized hemp farming but did not adequately address intoxicating hemp products. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who supported the original legislation, has backed the ban on these products and previously described some companies as exploiting loopholes to market intoxicating hemp “snack and candy-like products.” However, McConnell’s current absence due to hospitalization has left the debate without one of its key congressional voices.

Adding to the complexity, the cannabis industry, which generally views intoxicating hemp as competition, opposes the delay. Certain alcohol producers have also expressed concerns. Meanwhile, industry groups representing hemp farmers and product manufacturers have actively lobbied Congress, employing advocates with ties to the Trump administration to influence the outcome.

Efforts by Susie Wiles to advocate for the administration’s broader legislative goals were reported on Capitol Hill, but White House officials have denied that she lobbied specifically on the hemp issue. As the Senate works to finalize the spending bill, the fate of the hemp provision remains uncertain amid ongoing negotiations and opposition from multiple quarters.