E29: The Business of Hemp Series: Will the Federal Hemp Ban Shut Down Small Businesses?

Could new federal hemp restrictions force small businesses to close their doors?

In Part 1 of The Business of Hemp, a three-part special series from Small Business Success Talk, host Christy Smallwood welcomes back Dee Dee, owner of 502 Hemp in Kentucky and 812 Hemp in Indiana, and president of the Kentucky Hemp Association.

After years of building her business and serving customers, Dee Dee faces one of the biggest challenges of her entrepreneurial journey: federal legislation that could make many hemp-derived cannabinoid products illegal beginning in December 2026.

This isn’t just a conversation about CBD, THC, or cannabis. It’s about what happens when federal policy changes the rules for an entire industry—and small business owners are left wondering whether they’ll still have a business tomorrow.

In this episode, Christy and Dee Dee discuss:

• What the federal hemp restrictions could mean for CBD and THC products
• The differences between hemp, cannabis, CBD, CBG, and THC
• Why Dee Dee supports responsible regulation but opposes sweeping product restrictions
• The financial burden of operating hemp businesses across Kentucky and Indiana
• How licensing, banking challenges, and inconsistent state laws affect entrepreneurs
• The potential consequences for farmers, processors, retailers, employees, and customers
• Why Dee Dee is taking her concerns directly to Washington, D.C.
• What consumers can do to make their voices heard

Dee Dee shares that she has paid approximately $14,000 in business-related licensing and product approval fees this year alone. Now, with her employees asking about their December schedules and other hemp retailers already announcing closures, the future feels anything but certain.

For anyone who owns a small business, works in a regulated industry, or wants to understand the economic impact of the changing hemp laws, this conversation offers a firsthand look at the people behind the headlines.

Learn more about the advocacy efforts discussed in the episode: https://savehemp.org

Visit https://502Hemp.com to learn more about the products Dee Dee offers.

Subscribe to Small Business Success Talk for Parts 2 and 3 of The Business of Hemp, exploring additional perspectives from across the industry.

#SmallBusinessSuccessTalk #BusinessOfHemp #HempIndustry #FederalHempBan #CBDIndustry #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #502Hemp #KentuckyHemp

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.