Groups oppose House farm bill provision delaying hemp law

A coalition of 107 national and state public health, law enforcement, consumer protection, and community organizations wrote congressional agriculture leaders this week opposing a provision in the House farm bill that would delay implementation of a law passed earlier this year which would extend the implementation timeline of the law that redefines hemp and restricts the sale of intoxicating products.

The House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to mark up the bill on Tuesday.

The groups said the current law is necessary because it:

• Shuts down the national market of so-called “hemp” products that are, in practice, high-potency intoxicating products;
• Preserves legitimate hemp agriculture and lawful non-intoxicating hemp commerce, while drawing a clear boundary around THC and other intoxicating products derived and synthesized from hemp; and
• Creates a clear, enforceable federal standard and jurisdictional clarity — reducing a fragmented regulatory mess and ensuring that the excluded intoxicating products are appropriately classified under the Controlled Substances Act as of the effective date.

The letter was distributed by Omnicon, a public relations firm that said it represents “a wide coalition of beverage alcohol producers who are working together on getting these products properly regulated.”