The Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) has sent a letter to Congress outlining changes it would like to see to the 2023 Farm Bill.
The organisation has stated that the changes would address the range of federally unregulated hemp-derived cannabinoid products available in the hemp marketplace.
Introduced in 2018 the Farm Bill authorised hemp production and directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide regulations for hemp production. The bill is set to be revised this year.
In the letter, CANNRA calls for a number of changes to the bill including:
- Adding a definition for “Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid Products”
- Defining THC in terms of both THCA and delta-9 THC
- Clarifying that the 0.3% THC threshold applies only to the plant
- Naming a regulator to set appropriate thresholds for intermediate or final hemp-derived cannabinoid products
- Naming a federal regulatory agency with a timeline for implementing regulations to protect consumer safety
- Ensuring that states are not preempted from going beyond federal policies to protect consumer safety and public health.
The orgainsation sent another, 40 page letter to Congress on 18 August responding to a Congressional Request for Information on cannabinoid hemp regulation from the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce and the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The response covers the range of hemp products on the market, highlighting the need for a “comprehensive federal regulatory approach that addresses all cannabinoid hemp products and forms, the challenges with applying current federal regulatory pathways to current products, and the risk to consumer safety and public health if swift federal action is not taken.”
In particular, it outlines areas of the Farm Bill that the organisation says are being used to justify the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products, including the “0.3% loophole,” the “THCA loophole,” and the “derivatives loophole.”
