The federal hemp change, explained: what December 11 means for CBD topicals

The legal date is Friday, December 11, 2026.^[1][3] That's when the total-THC standard and the 0.4 mg per-container cap take effect. You may see December 12 mentioned because it's the first full day under the new rules. Either way, the rules apply from the 11th.

December 11 is also the day current federal funding runs out, so Congress is handling hemp and the budget on the same deadline.^[6][10]

No. CBD itself stays legal under federal law. What changes is how much THC a finished hemp product can hold. After December 11, a product with more than 0.4 mg of total THC in its container no longer counts as hemp.^[1] So CBD products made with trace THC, like most full-spectrum oils and creams, are the ones at risk. Products made from CBD isolate, which has the THC removed, are built to stay under the line.^[8]

Yes. The cap covers finished hemp products of every kind, including products applied to the skin.^[3] A topical doesn't get a pass because it isn't eaten. What matters is the total THC in the container.

It means the whole package, not one serving. The law defines the container as the “innermost wrapping, packaging or vessel in direct contact with” the product.^[7] For a cream, that's the bottle or jar itself.

That is a very small amount. In a 100 mL bottle, 0.4 mg works out to about 4 parts per million. A cream with just 0.01% THC would hold about 10 mg in that same bottle, 25 times the limit.

Under the old rule, labs only had to count delta-9 THC. Starting December 11, they count total THC, which adds THCA, the form of THC found in the raw plant that turns into delta-9 when heated.^[1][5] Products that looked compliant on a delta-9-only test may not pass a total-THC test.

Cannabinoids that a hemp plant can't make on its own, like those synthesized in a lab or chemically converted from CBD, lost their hemp status on November 12. That part wasn't delayed.^[2][6] Products made that way are now treated as marijuana under federal law.^[5]

It's possible, but nothing has passed as of November 14, 2026. A bipartisan bill, the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, would replace the cap with a regulatory framework, and other bills would delay it for up to two years.^[1][10] The next government funding bill is the likely vehicle for any change.^[3] Akerman, a national law firm, put the current extension plainly: “The delay is temporary — not a safe harbor.”^[4] We'll update this page as soon as anything is signed.

Yes. Every Kannaco topical is made with CBD and CBG isolates, not full-spectrum extract and not lab-synthesized cannabinoids. Each batch is tested by an independent lab, and every lab report shows THC as not detected, with the lab's detection limit printed on the report. That holds for every size we make, including 16 oz jars. Scan the QR code on your label to see the report for your exact batch.

From December 11, a finished product above the cap falls outside the federal definition of hemp and is treated as marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act.^[9][5] Expect many full-spectrum CBD products, THC gummies and hemp drinks to be pulled from shelves unless Congress acts.^[6]

No. Drug tests look for THC, and the new law doesn't change how employers test. If you're tested for work or sport, the safest course is the one Consumer Reports suggests: stop all CBD products, topicals included, a few weeks before a test.^[12] A THC-free product lowers the risk, but no company can guarantee a test result.

Yes. The federal change doesn't replace state rules, and some states moved earlier or set stricter limits of their own.^[4][3] Kansas, for example, already measures total THC. Kannaco does not ship to Alabama because of state law. Check your state in our state-by-state library.

Pull the current lab report for every CBD product on your shelf or backbar and check two numbers: total THC and THC per container. Set aside anything without a report. Then check your state's page in our library and confirm coverage with your liability carrier. Our client-questions guide has wording for the questions clients will ask.