Proposed federal framework aims to protect consumers, preserve jobs and consumer choice, and provide long-term certainty for an industry increasingly embraced by consumers and retailers nationwide

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / July 28, 2026 / Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Company is encouraged by new bipartisan efforts to establish a responsible federal framework for America's hemp industry, creating renewed optimism around an approach that protects consumers while supporting the businesses, jobs, farmers, and communities that have helped build the industry.

Introduced by U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and Andy Barr (R-Ky.), the Lawful Hemp Protection Act seeks to establish a federal regulatory structure for hemp products, including standards around product safety, testing, labeling, age restrictions, manufacturing, and responsible commerce.

For Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co., the bipartisan effort offers a path beyond the extremes of an unregulated marketplace and outright prohibition, toward a responsible framework that protects consumers while allowing legitimate businesses to operate under clear, enforceable rules.

"Seeing leaders from both parties come together around a thoughtful path forward is incredibly encouraging," said Jonathan Black, CEO of Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co. "This shouldn't be a partisan issue. We all want safe products, responsible businesses, strong consumer protections, and clear rules that everyone is expected to follow. Regulation gives us the opportunity to accomplish those things while protecting a category consumers clearly want, retailers continue to embrace, and thousands of businesses and workers now depend on."

Since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp has evolved from an emerging market into an established part of the American economy. The hemp-derived cannabinoid market alone represents more than $28 billion in consumer demand, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs across agriculture, manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and other sectors. That growth has been driven not only by industry innovation, but by Americans embracing new ways to enjoy and experience hemp-derived products.

Adult-use hemp beverages, in particular, have helped establish an entirely new category within the broader beverage market. Consumers are seeking new ways to socialize, relax, and celebrate, while retailers, distributors, restaurants, and hospitality businesses are responding by making hemp beverages a growing part of the adult beverage landscape. What began as an emerging category is becoming a meaningful consumer choice alongside traditional adult beverage options.

Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co. believes a successful federal framework should recognize both realities: consumers deserve rigorous standards and safeguards, and responsible businesses need regulatory certainty to invest, innovate, employ people, and plan for the future.

"There are real people behind this conversation," said Brandon Harshbarger, President of Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co. "There are farmers who planted crops, entrepreneurs who invested their savings, people who built manufacturing facilities, distributors who created new routes to market, retailers who put these products on their shelves, and employees who built careers around this industry. We can protect consumers and preserve those livelihoods at the same time. Those goals are not in conflict, and this bipartisan effort shows we can accomplish both."

The proposed framework comes at a critical moment for the industry, with significant changes to federal hemp policy currently scheduled to take effect in November. Industry organizations, farmers, businesses, and policymakers have increasingly called for a comprehensive federal framework that distinguishes responsible, compliant operators from bad actors while establishing consistent standards for the marketplace.

Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co. supports strong consumer protections, including appropriate age restrictions, product testing, transparent labeling, responsible marketing, and clear manufacturing standards-standards the company has implemented and advocated for since entering the hemp industry. The company believes thoughtful federal regulation can provide these safeguards without eliminating consumer access or dismantling the legitimate businesses that have developed under the existing legal framework

"Good regulation creates accountability, predictability, and trust," said Ted Whitney, Chief Beverage Officer at Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co. "The responsible operators in this industry are not asking for a marketplace without rules. They are asking for clear, workable rules that protect consumers, hold bad actors accountable, and give compliant businesses the certainty they need to operate responsibly. Prohibition doesn't eliminate consumer demand; it risks pushing consumers toward an illicit market where the very safeguards we all want-testing, transparency, and accountability-are absent. This bipartisan framework offers an opportunity to move in the opposite direction: toward responsible regulation, higher safety standards, and greater consumer protection."

As the legislation moves forward, Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co. believes continued collaboration among policymakers, regulators, farmers, industry leaders, public-health stakeholders, and consumers can help create a lasting framework that prioritizes safety while preserving access, consumer choice, and economic opportunity.

"This is bigger than any one company or any one product category," added Harshbarger. "There are a lot of people counting on us to get this right. We have an opportunity to protect consumers, preserve jobs and businesses, and create clear rules that allow a responsible industry to move forward. Seeing people come together from both sides of the aisle gives me a lot of hope that we can do exactly that."

Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Co. looks forward to continued collaboration with policymakers, industry organizations, and stakeholders to advance responsible federal hemp regulation that protects consumers, supports American businesses and farmers, and creates long-term certainty for the industry.

About Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Company

Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Company is the parent company and master licensor behind a growing portfolio spanning CHEECH & CHONG brand licensing, hemp-derived consumer products, regulated cannabis ventures, and retail experiences, rooted in more than 50 years of advocacy, culture, and education. Built on the legacy of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, as the world's premier heritage cannabis brand, the company works with partners across multiple industries to expand responsible access, support consumer choice, and create products and experiences that bring people together.

Media Contact

Brooke Mangum
Chief Marketing Officer
Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Company
E: brooke@cheechandchong.com

SOURCE: Cheech and Chong's Global Holding Company