House Democratic legislators from the center-left, pro-business group are pushing for the use of the next Farm Bill in order to reduce the regulatory burden on industrial hemp farmers.
The New Democrat Coalition is a coalition of almost 100 House members that describes itself as being “united around a mission to create an economy that works well for all Americans.” On Monday, the coalition released a slate of endorsements that outlines policy priorities at he time when lawmakers are drafting the Farm Bill 2023. The Industrial Hemp Act, a bill from Reps. Matt Rosendale and Chrissy Hulahan of Pennsylvania (D-PA), is one of 44 they hope to include in the 2023 Farm Bill.
I’m proud that 3 of my bills for PA agriculture were endorsed by @NewDemCoalition in this year’s Farm Bill!
The bills:
Protection of our mushroom farmers
— Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) September 25, 2023
The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp and its derivatives, like CBD, that contained no more than 0.3% THC in dry weight. Regulation is the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill aims to make a distinction between industrial hemp, which is grown to produce products such as fiber, and “hemp used for any purpose”, which includes crops that are cultivated for cannabinoids.
Farmers who grow industrial hemp will no longer have to undergo background checks to be able to participate in the marketplace, nor would they need to meet rigorous testing and sampling requirements.
They would instead have to undergo an annual inspection where they’d need to prove that they are growing the crop to a purpose covered by the new definition of “industrial hemp”. If they fail the initial visual inspection, they will need to submit documentation that demonstrates “a clear intention and in-field practice consistent with the designation of industrial hemp”. The regulators would only be able to test the harvested plant material if they refused.
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Sens. Jon Tester (D – MT) and Mike Braun – (R – IN) – also preclude states and tribes enacting more stringent requirements for industrial hemp growers than those laid down in the bill. The bill also states that anyone who intentionally produces hemp crops incompatible with their designated designation is ineligible for participation in the legal hemp sector for a five-year period.
The leaders of the farm bill taskforce stated that “New Dems” will continue to work diligently with their colleagues from both parties, and with other stakeholders to advance a Farm Bill which includes these endorsed measures and rejects attempts to undermine investments made in America’s future agricultural.
Our Farm Bill Task Force has just approved 44 bills to be included in the Farm Bill that must pass!
We strongly encourage the inclusion of these priorities into the final Farm Bill. From strengthening nutrition programs to supporting America’s rural communities and America’s farmers, we urge that they be included. pic.twitter.com/AwpmlZbKmB
— New Democrat Coalition September 25, 2020
It is unlikely that this will be the only hemp-related piece of legislation attached to the next major agriculture bill. According to USDA, the hemp market experienced a significant drop in value during the past year. Stakeholders have suggested a number recent proposals to address this issue and build upon the legalization of the crop under the current Farm Bill.
Food and Drug Administration has been blamed for the economic recession. stakeholders have accused the FDA of not passing regulations to allow the marketing hemp-derived cannabinoids as dietary supplements and foods. FDA stated that it required further congressional action in order to develop such regulations.
The Congressional Research Service released a report last month that detailed the challenges facing the hemp industry in the United States. It also highlighted FDA’s determination to be a contributing factor to the market decline.
Bipartisan and bicameral legislators submitted legislation in July that would remove the regulatory barriers FDA claims prevents them from allowing CBD to be sold as dietary supplements or food.
In a recent hearing of a House subcommittee, the focus was on the impact that the FDA’s lack of rules has had on consumers. A separate bipartisan pair of health committees also sought expert opinion on this issue when they were considering possible legislative solutions.
Cannabis Regulators Association members from the states sent a similar letter to the leaders of the congressional agriculture committees, asking them to use the Farm Bill in order to modify the federal definition for the crop as well as the rules governing hemp-derived cannabinoids.
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Photo by Brendan Cleak.
The first time Marijuana Moment published the post House Democratic Group Presses to Reduce Hemp Farmers’ Regulatory Burdens in Next Farm Bill.
