While efforts to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level continue, at the same time there is an ongoing conversation about regulating another hemp product – hemp.
Last Thursday, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on hemp titled “Examining the USDA Hemp Production Program.”
Del. Stacey Plaskett, D-U.S. Virgin Islands, who chairs USDA’s Hemp Production Program Research Agriculture Subcommittee, heard testimony with colleagues on how to help the growing number of hemp growers.
What You Need To Know
The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing on Hemp, entitled, “An Examination of the USDA Hemp Production Program,” where lawmakers listened to testimony on how to help the growing number of helm farmers Lawmakers are interested in ensuring hemp producers have the tools they need to help their industry grow and private companies say the industry would grow if lawmakers mandate FDA regulation of CBD products While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, the Farm Bill signed into law by former President Trump allowed hemp to be legally grown and sold across the United States Lawmakers have more than a year until the latest Farm Bill expires to get officials from the USDA and FDA to help move the needle forward
“This hearing is an opportunity for us to hear what we can do to ensure the continued growth and development of this re-growing crop,” Plaskett said. On the same subject : Neumann appointed forestry business advisor.
“The subcommittee received requests to provide greater market certainty and stability for farmers, producers and consumers in the hemp industry. We also heard about industry progress, which includes creating room for market diversification, as well as addressing gaps and constraints in the supply chain, including processing and manufacturing, increasing production capacity and strengthening linkages across the supply chain,” he said in a statement.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, hemp and marijuana are both members of the hemp family. Although marijuana is still illegal under federal law, the farm bill signed into law by former President Donald Trump allowed cannabis to be legally grown and sold throughout the United States.
Cannabis cultivation has become popular because the plant contains CBD, which has many therapeutic benefits.
The National Library of Medicine describes hemp’s many uses in products such as oil, food, protein, and considers hemp to be less harmful to the environment than other crops.
Cannabis legalization has received support from lawmakers across the aisle.
“After the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, a wave of innovation followed, and researchers and companies began identifying uses for hemp fiber, including building materials, insulation, animal bedding, concrete and even auto parts,” Rep. Jim Baird, R. -Ind., told Spectrum News in an interview.
Lawmakers are interested in making sure cannabis producers have the tools they need to grow their industry. Private companies say the industry would grow if lawmakers empowered the FDA to regulate CBD products.
“The big retailers that target the whole world, Walmart’s Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, can’t carry CBD ingestible products right now because they don’t have FDA approval because the FDA hasn’t included it in the guidelines,” said Chase Terwillige, of the U.S.-based Cannabis Lose CEO of CBD manufacturer Balanced Health Botanicals to Spectrum.
There has been a growing desire and demand for the legalization of hemp products at the federal and state levels.
“If the FDA gave us more direction, we would find more private investment products and many well-known consumer brands would have tremendous interest in hemp products,” Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan F. Quarles told the Hemp Committee.
While most of the hemp is grown in states like California and Kentucky, Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said change is badly needed in her state, too. He introduced separate legislation earlier this year to address the red tape currently in place.
“We have growers from all over the country. I’ve talked to some producers in Maine who are having issues where their employees are having trouble getting fingerprints that are acceptable to the FBI for criminal history reports,” Pingree said.
Lawmakers have more than a year until the last farm bill expires, and they say they are rushing to bring USDA and FDA officials into the discussion.
