This is part ten of a ten-part podcast series documenting the European Industrial Hemp Association's 23rd Annual Conference in Poznan, Poland, at the Institute of Fiber Plants and Medicinal Medicine, June 10-12.

Bob Hoban is an attorney and consultant in the international cannabis and hemp space, based in Denver, Colorado. He has advised governments, companies and trade organizations across multiple continents, and in this Hemp in Poland series finale, he turns his attention to a deadline looming over the U.S. industry.

"So we've got what I've kind of come to refer to as the hemp cliff happening in November of 2026," he said.

Hoban explains that a wide range of products — from intoxicating cannabinoids to CBD — could become federally illegal at that point, along with a DEA opinion that effectively classified cannabis seeds as hemp. He traces it to a political reaction from Senator McConnell's office, but doesn't expect the cliff to actually arrive, pointing to heavy lobbying, an invested alcohol and distribution sector, and a lawsuit with a legal team ready to seek an injunction. Even if it does take effect, he argues, state programs will keep operating and the industry will absorb the hit.

"I think that it will impact the economics of the industry, but it doesn't kill the industry," Hoban said.

Learn More

Hoban Law Group hobanlaw.com

Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants (IWNIRZ) iwnirz.pl

European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) eiha.org

EIHA Conference eiha-conference.org

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