Committee amends cannabis/hemp bill to allow Cannabis Control Board to deposit hemp fees, orders hemp-fee study

The House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry on 2026-05-24 reviewed and signaled support for three small amendments from House Ways and Means to a cannabis/hemp bill, Bradley Schoeman, state council, told the panel.

Schoeman said the first amendment revises section 19 of the committee report to clarify the cannabis control board special fund so the Cannabis Control Board may deposit any hemp-related fees and civil penalties it collects into that fund. "This allows the cannabis control board to deposit any fees that they get from hemp into their special fund," Schoeman said.

The second amendment requires the Cannabis Control Board to submit a study on hemp fees on or before Jan. 15, 2027, to the agriculture, ways and means, and finance committees. The mandated report must summarize hemp fees in effect for fiscal year 2027, note any waivers or reductions, report revenue derived from each fee for fiscal year 2026, compare fees in other jurisdictions and analyze policy trends, and recommend whether section 858 or the hemp fee schedule should be adjusted to better support small-business hemp producers and processors.

Schoeman said Ways and Means added the study because members expect more clarity on the federal hemp regulatory landscape after November and want CCB to explain its plan for fees: "Are you amending fees? Are you waiving them? Have you defined prep processor, or do you plan to?"

The third amendment adds a sunset to the Cannabis Control Board's authority to waive or reduce licensing fees for craft processors. Schoeman said the board testified it wanted the waiver authority only if federal law changes make processing more restrictive; if the authority is unused, the sunset will let it expire.

Chair (speaker 1) asked for a show of hands and recorded broad support for the language; Schoeman said he was not aware of opposition. A fiscal note accompanies the amendments, and the committee was told the bills are scheduled for floor consideration later the same day, around 2:30–2:45 p.m.

The changes are procedural and technical in nature but could affect how the state finances hemp oversight and how craft processors are treated pending federal regulatory developments. The committee did not take a formal roll-call vote on these amendments during the session; members were directed to be available for the floor appearance later in the day.