In a bit of good news for the beleaguered hemp cannabinoid sector, the White House on Wednesday called on Congress to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoid products instead of banning them, or at least delaying implementation of the looming ban, which is set to go into effect on November 12.

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The request came in a letter from Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), in which the administration seeks supplemental funding for its Iran war expenses, as well as a variety of unrelated items.

The total supplemental funding sought is $87.6 billion, mostly to address "urgent needs related to Operation Epic Fury," but also including funds to aid American farmers, respond to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, and "$500 million to support ongoing efforts to complete restoration and construction projects in and around Washington, DC."

On the hemp issue, Vought wrote that: "[T]he Administration requests additional authorities that it strongly supports. These authorities include revising the Federal regulation of hemp to ensure the fair treatment of hemp products in a manner consistent with Amendment #54 offered to H.R. 8646  in the House Rules Committee, or, at minimum, an extension of implementation of the regulatory framework put in place by Section 781 of Public Law 119-37."

Amendment #54, also known as the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, was filed by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) but was blocked from consideration by the leadership of the House Rules Committee. It would legalize and tightly regulate consumable hemp products by establishing a national framework, including age limits, manufacturing standards, and labeling requirements.

The measure was written in response to Congress's approval last year of an agricultural appropriations bill that redefined legal hemp and placed tight caps on total THC content, threatening the vast majority of consumable hemp products in the country. That is what is set to go into effect on November 12 if Congress fails to act before then.

Hemp supporters like what they're hearing from the White House.

"This is one of the strongest signals we have seen from any administration that Washington understands the urgency facing hemp farmers, small businesses, and consumers across the country," the US Hemp Roundtable said in a statement Wednesday. The ball is now in Congress's court."

"We are excited to see the President take such a strong public stance in favor of replacing the hemp ban with a strong regulatory framework, or at a minimum, securing an extension of the hemp ban moratorium to give Congress more time to develop regulations," said Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the US Hemp Roundtable. "This is an important step in honoring Congress's promise to help farmers and consumers."