When the federal government reopened, it did so with a last-minute rider that blindsided millions of Americans: a sweeping ban on hemp-derived THC. Overnight, the industry we’ve poured years into building was pushed into uncertainty. An industry that helps people manage pain, anxiety, sleep, and day-to-day health without needing to live in (or travel to) a legal state or pay for a medical card.
I’ve been in this space long enough to know one thing for certain: hemp isn’t going anywhere. And neither are we.
At Carbon Cannabis, we’re continuing business as usual until we are explicitly forced to shut down. Too many people rely on us. Not just here in Wisconsin, but across the entire country. We employ Wisconsinites, support farmers, uphold manufacturing jobs, and produce relief for thousands nationwide. We owe it to them, and to the people whose lives are better because of hemp, to keep doing what we do.
This is bigger than business. This is about people.
Why This Federal Ban Hurts So Many
For years, hemp has been a lifeline for Americans who want relief but don’t have access to legal cannabis. Parents caring for children with seizures. Veterans managing chronic pain. People living with anxiety who’ve finally found something that works without putting them at risk. Everyday folks who simply want a gentle way to relax without alcohol. Hemp isn’t some fringe niche. It’s a multi-billion-dollar, nationally accessible wellness industry. And no matter how fast lawmakers try to shut it down, the need doesn’t disappear with the signing of a bill.
What this ban really does is punish:
- People in non-legal states
- Low-income consumers who can’t access medical programs
- Small businesses and local farms
- Responsible manufacturers who prioritize safety and compliance
What We’ve Always Fought for: Real, Effective Regulation
Earlier this month, I stood at the Wisconsin State Capitol to oppose AB 503 and AB 606. These bills attempted to destroy the hemp industry here at home. I said then what I will say again now: We do not need bans. We need regulation that works.
Here are the key principles we’ve been advocating for:
1. Age Restrictions
We fully support 21+ access for THC products. Hemp businesses like ours have been enforcing this long before lawmakers paid attention.
2. Potency Transparency
Products should clearly communicate strength, serving sizes, and cannabinoid profiles. Carbon has always led with clear, honest labeling.
3. Testing Requirements
Every product we manufacture, for ourselves and for the many Wisconsin brands we produce for, is third-party tested. Clean, compliant, CO₂-extracted, and verifiable.
4. Licensing & Accountability
We welcome licensing that ensures only professional, reputable manufacturers remain in the space. We follow rigorous processes, and we stand behind every product that leaves our facility.
5. Protecting Small Businesses, Not Corporate Monopolies
The cannabis industry should not be handed over to a few multi-state operators. It should remain accessible for the local businesses and farms that built it.
Banning hemp doesn’t protect consumers, it harms them. Smart, thoughtful regulation keeps everyone safe without taking relief away from millions.
Why Carbon Cannabis Isn’t Stopping
Let me speak plainly: Shutting down would hurt thousands of people who depend on the relief we make.
Carbon Cannabis is more than an independent brand, we are a manufacturing backbone for the Wisconsin hemp market. We produce products for countless companies in this state. Their businesses depend on us just as much as their customers do.
And when someone in Kansas, Tennessee, Alabama, or Nebraska finally finds relief because they can legally order hemp products shipped to their door? That matters. That’s real. That’s human.
Until someone physically locks our doors, we will continue operating responsibly, transparently, safely, and with integrity
We are doing everything right. We use the cleanest extraction method. We never convert cannabinoids. We follow good manufacturing practices. We test obsessively. We hold ourselves to standards that many legal markets don’t even require. We are not the problem. We are part of the solution.
The Heart of It All: People Over Politics
I’ve watched this industry grow from a handful of passionate growers into a nationwide ecosystem of farmers, chemists, manufacturers, retailers, and customers whose lives are truly changed by hemp. What lawmakers don’t see are the messages WE see every single day:
- “Your tincture is the only thing that stops my panic attacks.”
- “Your gummies helped my dad sleep through the night for the first time in years.”
- “Thank you for making something that actually works.”
You don’t just shut an industry like that down. You can’t legislate away people’s need for relief. And as long as there are people who need what we make, we will keep showing up for them.
What Happens Next
We don’t know how strictly this federal ban will be enforced yet and historically, these broad strokes evolve as agencies clarify, courts challenge, and states push back. What is clear right now is that businesses have 365 days from the date the bill was signed before enforcement begins. That means the industry is not shutting down overnight. We have time, we have options, and we have a full year to continue doing what we do best while we fight for fair, sensible regulation.
Here’s what we know for certain:
- The fight is far from over
- The industry is more unified than ever
- And Carbon Cannabis is staying open
Stay With Us. Your Support Matters More Than Ever
Right now, the most powerful thing you can do is stand with the small businesses you believe in. Share our message. Talk to your representatives. Support your local hemp brands.
We are not giving up.
We are not backing down.
We are not closing our doors.
Not today. Not tomorrow.
Not until someone forces us to stop helping the people who count on us.
And I promise you this: We will fight for this industry until the very last minute because people deserve access to relief, dignity, and choice.
-Austin W., Co-Founder & CEO, Carbon Cannabis
