On Monday evening, the final text of the 2018 Farm Bill Conference Report was released, with bipartisan support. The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday, Dec. 11, and will pass the House and likely be on the President’s desk by the end of the week. A product of extended negotiations between House and Senate leaders, the final bill does not include controversial provisions which would have instituted stricter work requirements on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, nor does it limit the types of food that may be purchased with SNAP benefits or limit types of retailer that can accept SNAP.

The bill contains provisions sought by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) legalizing the farming and production of industrial hemp, making it an agricultural commodity and removing it from the federal list of controlled substances, giving states the opportunity to be the primary regulators of hemp production. Hemp has been on the controlled substances list because of its similarity to cannabis (both come from the same species). While cannabis contains high amounts of THC, which has psychoactive effects, hemp only contains trace amounts of THC. The Farm Bill will allow American farmers to enter the growing industrial hemp market. Pres. Trump has signaled that he supports the final bill, and intends to sign it as soon as Congress approves the legislation.