A coalition of hemp industry organizations are calling on a House committee to hold a hearing addressing the ongoing lack of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for products made with constituents of the crop such as CBD.
In a letter addressed to House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders, 28 state and national nonprofits focused on hemp and dietary supplements said that “the time for a hearing has never been riper” to examine regulatory pathways that FDA could enact to allow for the lawful marketing of hemp products for humans and animals.
“In the more than five years since the legalization of hemp through the 2018 Farm Bill, in spite of a designated annual appropriation, the FDA has taken no meaningful steps toward the regulation of hemp—whether it be animal feed or extracts for human consumption like CBD,” the groups said.
FDA said last year that, after an extensive review, it determined that it lacked necessary authority to establish regulations for the hemp and CBD market, stating that it will require additional congressional support.
“Meanwhile, thousands of unregulated products continue to be sold, causing great consumer confusion and advantaging bad actors via-a-vis good faith manufacturers who want to play by the rules and offer healthy products,” the letter says.
The House Energy and Commerce and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee responded to FDA’s inaction last summer by putting out a Request for Information (RIF) from experts on the best path forward for regulating hemp, with hundreds of respondents sharing their perspective and recommendations.
“By now, your staff has had months to review and consider these recommendations,” the organizations said in the new letter, adding that “Energy & Commerce must weigh in for there to be meaningful action.”
“We’ve been assured that an Energy & Commerce hearing would take place on a number of occasions, but the time for a hearing has never been riper,” they said. “We urge you to take immediate steps to hold a hearing before your committee, bringing the RFI ideas to public light, and offering an opportunity for your Members to weigh in on the crucial issues that must be resolved for the hemp industry to survive, and for health and public safety to truly be protected.”
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