The following story was published by the Illinois Times on Jan. 27, 2026.

Megan Styles: In November 2025, President Trump signed legislation to fund and reopen the federal government, ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. While many celebrated, Illinois hemp farmers were stunned. Buried in the legislation was a provision that fundamentally altered the federal definition of hemp, potentially making many hemp farming activities and products illegal once again.

The impacts of such policy changes are the focus of recent University of Illinois Springfield research examining the experiences of CBD hemp farmers in Illinois. In summer 2024, UIS Environmental Studies major Courtney Roberts and I conducted fieldwork that included interviews with farmers and industry stakeholders, as well as participation in legislative lobby days, meetings and events organized by hemp industry advocates. Our findings, published in a peer-reviewed academic journal in December 2025, help illuminate what is at stake for small hemp farmers amid ongoing regulatory changes and highlight the need for evidence-based policymaking developed in collaboration with farmers themselves.

Read the story online.