White House CBD Policy Meetings Signal Major Shift in Federal Enforcement
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The cannabis industry is watching Washington closely this week as the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) hosts a unprecedented series of meetings with cannabis industry stakeholders to discuss the FDA's forthcoming CBD compliance and enforcement policy. With five separate sessions scheduled between April 1 and April 7, 2026, the flurry of activity suggests the federal government is moving closer than ever to establishing a clear regulatory framework for cannabidiol products.
Key Takeaways
- Any new CBD enforcement policy will intersect with the November 2026 intoxicating hemp ban and the pending cannabis rescheduling [Quick Definition: The federal process of moving cannabis from Schedule I to a less restrictive category] decision, making this a pivotal year for the industry.
- The White House OIRA is hosting five stakeholder meetings in early April to discuss the FDA's unpublished CBD compliance and enforcement policy, signaling imminent regulatory action.
- The meetings include a diverse range of participants from multi-state operators [Quick Definition: Cannabis companies licensed in multiple states] to independent hemp farmers, suggesting an inclusive approach to policy development.
Table of Contents
- What's Happening at the White House
- Why This Matters for the CBD Industry
- What the New Policy Could Look Like
- Industry Reactions and Concerns
- The Rescheduling Connection
- What Comes Next
What's Happening at the White House
The OIRA, a division of the White House Office of Management and Budget, has placed multiple stakeholder meetings on its calendar to discuss an unpublished FDA guidance document titled "Cannabidiol (CBD) Products Compliance and Enforcement Policy." The process allows outside stakeholders — industry representatives, researchers, and advocacy groups — to meet with OIRA officials while the policy is still under review, giving them an opportunity to shape the guidance before it becomes final.
Four meetings were originally scheduled for April 1 and April 2, with participants including David Heldreth of Panacea Plant Sciences, Trent Woloveck of Jushi Holdings, Mackie Barch of Story Cannabis, and Iowa hemp farmer Earl Ramey. A fifth meeting was added for April 7, when OCan Group, LLC is set to discuss the same FDA enforcement policy at 2:30 p.m.
The diversity of participants — from multi-state cannabis operators to independent hemp farmers — signals that the White House is casting a wide net in its effort to understand how any new enforcement policy will affect the entire supply chain. This inclusive approach is a notable departure from previous administrations, where CBD policy discussions were often limited to a narrow set of industry voices.
Why This Matters for the CBD Industry
The CBD market has existed in a regulatory gray area since the 2018 Farm Bill [Quick Definition: The federal law that legalized hemp with less than 0.3% THC, creating the hemp CBD industry] legalized hemp and its derivatives. While the legislation removed hemp-derived CBD from the Controlled Substances Act, the FDA has never established a comprehensive regulatory framework for CBD products — leaving manufacturers, retailers, and consumers navigating a patchwork of state-level rules with little federal clarity.
This regulatory vacuum has created significant challenges. Reputable CBD companies have struggled to differentiate their products from unregulated competitors, while consumers have faced uncertainty about product safety, labeling accuracy, and dosage consistency. According to industry estimates, the U.S.
CBD market is projected to reach $15 billion by the end of 2026, yet much of that commerce occurs without clear federal oversight.
The timing of these meetings is particularly significant given two parallel federal developments. First, a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products — stemming from the 2025 appropriations bill's redefinition of hemp — is set to take effect in November 2026. Second, a final ruling on cannabis rescheduling from Schedule I to Schedule III [Quick Definition: A mid-level federal drug classification including ketamine and testosterone] is expected at any time following President Trump's December 2025 executive order.
What the New Policy Could Look Like
While the exact contents of the unpublished FDA guidance remain confidential during the OIRA review process, industry observers have identified several likely components based on the agency's previous statements and the nature of the stakeholder discussions.
A tiered enforcement approach is widely expected, where the FDA would prioritize action against products making unsubstantiated therapeutic claims while allowing properly labeled CBD wellness products to remain on shelves. This framework would mirror the agency's existing approach to dietary supplements, applying good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements and requiring accurate labeling of CBD content.
Dosage limits represent another likely element. Several states have already implemented per-serving caps on CBD in food and beverage products, and a federal standard could bring uniformity to what is currently a fragmented regulatory landscape. Industry insiders suggest the FDA may propose a daily intake limit somewhere between 50 and 150 milligrams, though nothing has been officially confirmed.
Quality testing requirements could also form a cornerstone of the new policy. The FDA has consistently raised concerns about product contamination, inaccurate labeling, and the presence of heavy metals or pesticides in CBD products. A federal testing mandate would help address these safety concerns while potentially forcing smaller, non-compliant operators out of the market.
Industry Reactions and Concerns
The response from the cannabis industry has been cautiously optimistic. Many established CBD companies have long advocated for federal regulation, viewing it as a way to legitimize the industry and create barriers to entry for low-quality competitors. However, smaller operators worry that overly burdensome compliance requirements could disproportionately affect independent businesses.
Hemp farmers like Earl Ramey, who was among the stakeholders meeting with OIRA, represent a constituency with particular concerns about how enforcement policy intersects with agricultural regulations. The hemp farming sector has already been hit hard by oversupply and depressed prices, and farmers want assurances that any new CBD policy won't further restrict their market access.
For multi-state operators like Jushi Holdings, the meetings represent an opportunity to push for regulatory harmonization that would simplify compliance across state lines. Currently, companies selling CBD products nationally must navigate dozens of different state regulatory frameworks — a costly and complex undertaking that favors larger operators with dedicated compliance teams.
The Rescheduling Connection
These CBD policy meetings don't exist in isolation. They're unfolding against the backdrop of cannabis rescheduling, which would move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. Rescheduling would not directly affect CBD regulation — since hemp-derived CBD is already legal under the Farm Bill — but it would fundamentally reshape the broader cannabis regulatory landscape in ways that indirectly impact the CBD market.
Schedule III classification would allow cannabis businesses to deduct ordinary business expenses under the federal tax code, eliminating the punitive effects of Section 280E [Quick Definition: IRS code barring cannabis businesses from deducting normal expenses like rent and payroll]. It would also potentially open the door to FDA-approved cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals beyond Epidiolex, creating new market dynamics that CBD companies would need to navigate.
The convergence of these regulatory developments — CBD enforcement policy, intoxicating hemp bans, and rescheduling — suggests that 2026 could be the most consequential year for cannabis regulation since the Farm Bill's passage in 2018.
What Comes Next
After the stakeholder meetings conclude, the OIRA will continue its review of the FDA's proposed guidance. Under Executive Order 12866, OIRA reviews are generally expected to be completed within 90 days, though there is no hard deadline. Once the review is complete, the FDA can publish its guidance, which would then be subject to a public comment period before finalization.
Industry observers expect the initial guidance to be published sometime in the second quarter of 2026, with a final policy potentially taking effect by early 2027. However, the complexity of the issues involved — and the political sensitivity of cannabis policy under the current administration — means that timeline could shift.
For now, the cannabis industry is focused on the signals coming out of these White House meetings. The fact that five separate sessions have been scheduled in a single week suggests the administration recognizes the urgency of establishing clear rules for a market that has grown faster than the regulatory framework designed to govern it.
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"CBD market is projected to reach $15 billion by the end of 2026, yet much of that commerce occurs without clear federal oversight."
"The cannabis industry is watching Washington closely this week as the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) hosts a unprecedented series of meetings with cannabis industry stakeholders to discuss the FDA's forthcoming CBD compliance and enforcement policy."
"First, a federal ban on intoxicating hemp products — stemming from the 2025 appropriations bill's redefinition of hemp — is set to take effect in November 2026."
Why It Matters: The White House is hosting five CBD enforcement policy meetings with cannabis stakeholders. Here's what this means for the CBD industry in 2026.