On the 15th of January representative Collin Peterson (D-Mn) introduced a new bill HR 5587 in the House of Representatives. Notably this legislation had bipartisan support with three Republican and three Democratic cosponsors.
Encouragingly, this legislation is a move by the House to reassert the intention of the 2018 Farm Bill by expressly putting CBD from hemp into the dietary supplement category of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. This is the category that also includes vitamins and does not require the testing that is mandatory for pharmaceutical products.
While there has been less enthusiasm in the Senate for cannabis legislation, more recently, this has not been the case with hemp. The Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnell (D-KY) gave his critical support to the 2018 Farm Bill and his state of Kentucky has an expanding hemp agricultural program.
While the shift of hemp into the dietary supplement category would help to expand CBD/CBG hemp markets, the marketers of these products should advisably avoid particular health claims. The USDA has already given out stern warnings to some companies making unsubstantiated claims of certain benefits. Generalized health and well-being statements are surely safer in avoiding consternation at the USDA.
We hope our readers will monitor HR 5587 since it will be impactful to CBD / CBG hemp agriculture. Do not hesitate to let congressional legislators how important the development of hemp is for the benefit of so many farmers and the well-being of the public. As the general awareness of the health benefits of CBD and CBG grows due to the positive individual results that one hears about all the time, the future of hemp farming is becoming brighter and brighter.
To monitor HR 5587 (116th) go to: hempsupporter.com and get involved!
