Cannabis Bill Would Pave Way for CBD

A landmark new bill that would legalize marijuana would also create a legal pathway for the use of cannabidiol, or CBD, in dietary supplements. That would open up a commercial opportunity for industrial hemp producers.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, joined Senators Ron Wyden, D-OR, and Cory Booker, D-NJ, in announcing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act recently.

The bill, which is still in the form of a discussion draft, would require FDA to determine safe levels of CBD in dietary supplements, above which the supplements would be considered adulterated.

The sponsors will be accepting input on the bill until September 1^st. Herrick Fox, a hemp grower in Vermont who also is government affairs co-chair of the National Industrial Hemp Council, said his industry still needs Congress to increase the amount of THC allowed in hemp from 0.3% to 1%.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Industrial hemp producers have felt the constraint of the 0.3% THC since first legalized again by the Hemp Farming Act in December 2018. The limitation was included in the definition of industrial hemp within the act itself. Prior to that, production has essentially been banned since 1970 as a part of the government's war on drugs. Now with the legalization in many states, as well as being considered by the federal government, there is a possibility of removing this restriction which would allow industrial hemp producers to have access to the broader CBD market. At the same time, it would eliminate some of the governmental restrictions and make hemp production an option for more farmers. An alternative cash crop equals diversification and often leads to more profitability for farmers over time, which equates to more revenue to purchase TRUCKS!