Bill To Regulate CBD As A Dietary Supplement Introduced In Congress
Could Hemp Soon Be Approved For Use As A Supplement?
CBD is slowly winning over North America. There’s clearly a market for the cannabinoid, as both stoners and people who wouldn’t touch weed with a ten-foot pole are falling in love with oils, gummies, and drinks with CBD. Now, Congress is joining in on CBD’s meteoric rise.
A bill regulating CBD as a dietary supplement was recently introduced in Congress. The bill, called The Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2020, would lead to major changes in the framework in which CBD is mandated and sold.
If passed, the bill would allow CBD derived from hemp to be sold as a dietary supplement. Specifically, it would mandate that “cannabidiol derived from hemp, and any other ingredient derived from hemp shall be lawful under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (…) as a dietary ingredient in a dietary supplement.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has historically ignored CBD, but the bill would require action from them.
Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia, who introduced the bill with Rep. Kurt Shrader of Oregon, had this to say about the bill:
“Hemp was historically an important crop for Virginia farmers, and dietary supplements made from it do not possess dangerous addictive qualities, Nevertheless, the current state of regulation creates confusion about its legal uses. I joined this bipartisan bill to provide certainty for hemp farmers that their crop may find legal uses.”
The bill is somewhat of a response to a frustrating path for supporters of CBD. Technically, hemp was legalized broadly under the 2018 Farm Bill, but the pre-existing federal regulatory framework created many hurdles for farmers and retailers. The new bill would ensure that CBD is regulated federally so consumers can have full legal access to hemp products.
Slowly but surely, the landscape is changing. Earlier this year, the FDA opened a public comment period about CBD regulations in the United States.
Hemp farmers and manufacturers have long been frustrated with the prior bill’s lack of clarity or support. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable published a press release in response to the new bill:
“Public announcements by the FDA questioning the legality of ingestible hemp-derived products have hindered the progress of the industry and put at risk the livelihoods of many hemp farmers,” they wrote. “Not only did the lack of clarity spell economic disaster, but also resulted in a lack of regulations around quality, leaving consumers unprotected.”
The group is calling on supporters to learn about the bill and encourage Congress representatives to support it as it passes through the legislative stages.
The bill will have to be researched and discussed in Congress before being voted upon. This process can last a long time, as specific components of the bill are often debated and amended. If it moves forward, the bill will need majority approval from both the House and the Senate, and finally, approval from the President.
