Hemp group releases list of priorities for new farm bill

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable has released a list of priorities it says needs to be addressed in the upcoming Farm Bill.  The issues include the use of hemp in supplements, foods and feeds, testing issues, and more. 

In a press release, the group said the priorities list was taken from initiatives across the industry. It includes some priorities that have already found their way into pending legislation. 

The goal is to unite the industry behind a wish list of sorts that could be included in the reauthorization of the federal Farm Bill, the deadline for which was extended by Congress to Sept. 30, 2024. 

Among the priorities are: 

Cutting list down to size 

The list (which includes seven specific priorities in all) was winnowed down from a much longer one, said Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the group. 

“We had about 15 issues that we originally advocated for. We realized that we needed to pare that down,” he told Natural Products Insider in a telephone interview. 

Related:3 ingredients that powerfully activate mitochondria

The negotiations on what to focus on were carried out with the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC), Miller said. 

While the groups’ agenda is ambitious, Miller said there is reason to believe that some of the initiatives, or all of them, can make their way into a final Farm Bill. 

As for timing, Miller said it’s most likely the bill will be reauthorized during the lame duck session that will follow the presidential election in November. Miller pointed to the support the industry has received from Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Chuck Shumer (D-NY) and Rep. James Comer (R-KY). 

Specifically, the industry urges Congress to:  

Related:Cannabis Civil War heats up as courts make important rulings about hemp

Even though some of the bills listed above are already on the table, Miller said the clearest path for getting those ideas written into federal law is to include them in omnibus legislation. 

“It’s much more likely these days to get those bills within a farm bill rather than getting them passed individually. We know they are going to have to pass the Farm Bill,” Miller said. 

Wide support 

The priorities list garnered the support of 33 separate entities. As well as the groups mentioned above, support came from the American Herbal Products Association, the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and a host of state hemp groups.