A congressional hearing meant to address the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) handling of non-psychoactive CBD turned into a discussion about intoxicating hemp products and health fears – and reflecting the ongoing power struggle between the hemp and marijuana interests over controls of the THC market.
During a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing yesterday, hemp stakeholders pressed for long-awaited FDA regulations for CBD health products, while lawmakers used the session to air concerns about the proliferation of intoxicating hemp-derived substances like delta-8 THC — many of which are synthesized from CBD and are widely available under no regulations.
Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR), told lawmakers the hemp industry is “begging for regulation” to provide clarity for producers and safety for consumers.
“Lack of uniform quality control standards for hemp products at the federal level has forced responsible farmers and small business owners to compete against unscrupulous actors who generate headlines by distributing poorly manufactured products that are sometimes inappropriately marketed to children,” Miller told the hearing. “We are hopeful that new leadership at the FDA will reverse the past course of inaction and take deliberate steps to robustly regulate hemp.”
Cannabis clash
The debate over intoxicants made from hemp reflects deeper tensions within the broader cannabis economy. Hemp stakeholders have argued that legislative efforts to ban all ingestible hemp products containing any measurable amount of THC – including CBD health supplements – are being driven by marijuana industry players seeking to eliminate competition and dominate the THC marketplace. Such a ban would outlaw 90-95% of current hemp products, USHR’s Miller said in a pre-written statement for the hearing.
On the other side, marijuana advocates and some lawmakers contend that intoxicating hemp products are competing unfairly with state-regulated marijuana businesses because they are sold outside of the strict licensing and testing regimes required for cannabis dispensaries.
Read more at Hemp Today