Yo, what’s good fam? It’s ya boy, Dan, here to drop some knowledge on ya about the new Farm Bill and how it’s gonna affect the hemp industry. President Joe Biden just signed an emergency funding bill to keep the government runnin’ and also extended the Farm Bill until 2024. This gives Congress some extra time to figure out a new bill that addresses the booming market for hemp-derived cannabinoids, including that controversial delta-8 THC.
Now, when these lawmakers start workin’ on this new legislation, they gonna be lookin’ at the needs of our farmers and producers. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable and 30 other cannabis organizations have come together to make a list of nine things they wanna see in the new bill. They want more money and staff for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s hemp program, they want the FDA to regulate CBD extracts, they want hemp to be considered a specialty crop, and they wanna let felons get in on that hemp production game. They also wanna see more research on hemp at historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges, and institutions servin’ our Hispanic community. They wanna get rid of the DEA registration for hemp-testing labs, ease up on them regulations, allow hemp grain to be used for animal feed, and deal with THC levels in hemp.
I had a chance to chat with Jonathan Miller from the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, and he talked about all these priorities and the challenges our low-THC cannabis farmers and processors are facin’. You can check out that interview over at MJBizMagazine if you’re interested.
One big issue right now is that the FDA ain’t doin’ enough to regulate CBD and other cannabinoids. So there’s a push to include some amendments in this new Farm Bill that would make the FDA take control of CBD regulation. But there’s a bit of a problem ’cause the House of Representatives don’t have jurisdiction over the FDA. So they gonna have to figure out how to work together and get some provisions in there that cover the FDA. It’s gonna be a bit of a struggle, but I think they gonna find a way to make it happen.
Now, there’s still some uncertainty about whether this new Farm Bill is gonna pass this year or not. There’s some disagreements goin’ on within the Republican Party, especially when it comes to that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This ain’t just a fight between Democrats and Republicans, it’s an internal battle within the Republican Party itself. They got some beef with the previous debt-ceiling deal, and they might try to use the Farm Bill to address their concerns. It’s gonna be a real challenge for the House Republican leadership to come up with a proposal that satisfies both the far-right wing and the Democrats. So we’ll have to wait and see what happens with all that.
Now let’s talk about the players in Congress who are gonna be influencin’ this hemp-related legislation. First up, we got Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. This dude is a big deal when it comes to hemp stuff. We also got Jamie Comer, Chair of the House Oversight Committee, who’s plannin’ on holdin’ hearings about hemp and CBD. And then there’s Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Glenn “GT” Thompson, Chair of the House Agriculture Committee. These folks got some serious power when it comes to makin’ decisions about hemp in the House.
Over on the Senate side, we got Debbie Stabenow, Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture (Nutrition and Forestry), and Bernie Sanders, Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. And we can’t forget about U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. These are the people who gonna be makin’ some big moves when it comes to hemp-related policies.
Now, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane to the 2018 Farm Bill. This bill made it legal to produce and sell hemp in all 50 states. But it also opened the floodgates for all kinds of unregulated competition from hemp-derived products. And that ain’t sittin’ too well with the marijuana industry, which has to follow strict state laws. All of a sudden, we got all these new products on the market, like CBD, delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, and other cannabinoids that can get you high. Some of ’em even made in labs. You can find ’em in smoke shops, gas stations, and online. It’s a whole new world out there.
But all this new stuff has also caused some problems. The FDA had to step in and start sendin’ warning letters to companies that were makin’ unsupported medical claims or puttin’ delta-8 THC products in packaging that looked like snacks and candy for kids. And while the feds figure out what to do, some states like Kentucky and Virginia are makin’ their own laws to ban or restrict these hemp-derived products. And you know what that means? Lawsuits! Them hemp companies ain’t goin’ down without a fight.
So there you have it, my friends. The Farm Bill is gettin’ an extension, and Congress is gonna be workin’ hard to craft a new one that takes care of our hemp industry. We got some priorities lined up, but there’s still some challenges and uncertainties ahead. Stay tuned to see how it all plays out.
Alright, that’s it from me, Dan, signing off. Stay lifted, y’all! Peace.