US: Green acres for
legalised hemp. What
does this mean for CBD?
Hemp farmers can now import and export raw materials
across state lines without the threat of DEA intervention.
“Green acres is the place to be. Farm living is the
life for me.” That famous clip from the 2006 Emmy
Awards, during which Donald Trump and Will and
Grace actress Megan Mullaly sang ‘Green Acres’
on stage, marked the legalisation of hemp in all
50 US states.
Hemp farmers can now import and export raw materials
across state lines without the threat of Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) intervention.
However, CBD derived from marijuana remains a Schedule
I substance. This means it sits in the same drugs category
classified by the FDA as heroin and meth.
At the signing ceremony for the bill on December 20, the
US president said: “Through fires, floods and freezing
weather, we will always stand with the American farmers.
It opens new markets for American agriculture all over
the world.”
While the provisions set out in the Farm Bill have been
well-received by the farming and hemp communities,
FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb warned that foods
and supplements containing CBD would continue to be
regulated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic
Act.
Dr Gottlieb wrote in a statement: “Selling unapproved
products with unsubstantiated therapeutic claims is not
only a violation of the law, but also can put patients at
risk, as these products have not been proven to be safe
or effective.”
The FDA approved UK-made CBD drug Epidiolex last year.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell had pushed for
the legalisation of industrial hemp after seeing its potential
to revitalise the agricultural industry in Kentucky, where
farmers were seeking an alternative crop to tobacco,
demand for which continues to decline.
Senator McConnell said: “I used my very own hemp pen
to sign the conference report, clearing the way for the
House and Senate to pass legislation and send it to the
president’s desk.
“I’m proud that the bill includes my provision to legalise
the production of industrial hemp. It’s a victory for farmers
and consumers throughout our country.”
The new bill also makes hemp farmers eligible to access
federal crop insurance and participate in USDA programs
for certification and competitive grants.
Banking barriers lifted
Manufacturers and retailers with hemp-derived CBD
products will now also be able to work with banks and
credit card processing companies such as PayPal, which
had previously barred all CBD sales due to its former
Schedule I classification.
While hemp is legal at the federal level, patchwork regulations
apply state-by-state.
For example, New York state allows CBD in dietary
supplements but California does not, despite marijuana-
based CBD being legal in the state.
Tribal governments can impose their own restrictions
and requirements, but they must not interfere with the
interstate transportation of hemp or hemp products.
Blake Butler is executive director of the North Carolina
Industrial Hemp Association. He said: “This is a great day for
our farmers, ranchers, foresters and producers. Hemp gives
people hope, and that’s what gives me goosebumps.”
The final draft of the bill bars people with drug felony
convictions from working in the hemp industry for 10 years
after the date of their conviction.
The long-awaited 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law by
the US president on December 20 and it became law on
January 1.
VAPOUROUND CBD MAGAZINE
“This is a great day for our farmers, ranchers,
foresters and producers. Hemp gives people
hope and that’s what gives me goosebumps.”
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