In a letter to President Trump, seven hemp organizations suggested his administration could work with Congress on a legislative solution to resolve a barrier facing the CBD industry.

Josh Long, Associate editorial director, Natural Products Insider

June 17, 2020

3 Min Read
Hemp groups: Trump could help resolve FDA CBD barrier

Seven hemp organizations on Tuesday wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, thanking him for supporting farmers and stating his administration could help resolve a “regulatory barrier” facing the CBD industry.

The hemp industry has experienced tremendous growth since passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, with domestic hemp production growing from 25,500 acres in 2017 to 78,000 acres in 2018 to 511,442 acres in 2019, according to the letter. Citing Hemp Business Journal, the groups reported U.S. sales of hemp products are projected to reach $2.6 billion by 2022, up from $820 million in 2018.

“The domestic hemp industry is barely 1 year old, and the projected numbers on what our nascent industry can produce are impressive,” the organizations wrote.

Despite removing hemp and its derivatives from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the 2018 Farm Bill preserved FDA’s authority to regulate certain cannabis-derived products. And while FDA has been exploring potential regulatory pathways for CBD in conventional food and dietary supplements, many hemp and supplement groups have grown frustrated over lack of any rules or guidance.

“There are still market uncertainties for our nascent industry, and it is critical to open end markets for crops,” the hemp organizations wrote to Trump. “The administration could play a crucial role by resolving the regulatory barrier created by FDA that has prevented FDA from recognizing cannabidiol (CBD) as a legitimate botanical ingredient for use in food and dietary supplement products.”

“Any support for a legislative solution in removing this regulatory burden would be sincerely appreciated,” the letter added.

Organizations that signed the letter included the Kentucky Hemp Industries Association, Midwest Hemp Council, Minnesota Industrial Hemp Association, Missouri Hemp Trade Association, North Carolina Industrial Hemp Association, Virginia Hemp Coalition and Vote Hemp.

"President Trump gave the hemp industry the green light when he signed the 2018 Farm Bill into law," Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp, said in an email. "The industry has great potential to help American farmers and create jobs, but we need support to help processors get established and grow the market."

The letter was addressed to the president, but it also was sent to Vice President Mike Pence, the chiefs of staff for Trump and Pence, and some members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives—including, among others, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky who championed passage of the Farm Bill; and Rep. Collin Peterson, Democrat from Minnesota and chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, who introduced CBD legislation earlier this year.

“Our industry is young and shows great promise,” the letter concluded. “Seeds have already begun to go into the ground for the 2020 harvest. We stand ready to rebuild our economy.”

A White House press line could not be immediately reached Tuesday evening for comment. 

The Trump "administration is highly supportive of industries that produce and manufacture in the U.S., and the domestic hemp program, which was enacted under this administration, is exactly such industry," Tami Wahl, a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., who works on hemp legislation, said in an email. "There is a demand for this crop by stakeholders that want to support U.S. hemp farmers; however, the regulatory uncertainty created by FDA has compromised these end markets."

FDA has agreed that "a legislative solution is the most expedient resolution, and time is of the essence for both hemp farmers and the economy," the lobbyist added. "Be it HR 5587, the bill introduced by Chair Peterson earlier this year, or some iteration of it, a legislative fix is warranted and the [Trump] administration is positioned to facilitate."

 

 

 

About the Author(s)

Josh Long

Associate editorial director, Natural Products Insider, Informa Markets Health and Nutrition

Josh Long directs the online news, feature and op-ed coverage at Natural Products Insider, which targets the health and wellness industry. He has been reporting on developments in the dietary supplement industry for over a decade, with a focus on regulatory issues, including at the Food and Drug Administration.

He has moderated and/or presented at industry trade shows, including SupplySide East, SupplySide West, Natural Products Expo West, NBJ Summit and the annual Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn and ping him with story ideas at [email protected]

Education and previous experience

Josh majored in journalism and graduated from Arizona State University the same year "Jake the Snake" Plummer led the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also holds a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law, was admitted in 2008 to practice law in the state of Colorado and spent a year clerking for a state district court judge.

Over more than a quarter century, he’s written on various topics for newspapers and business-to-business publications – from the Yavapai in Arizona and a controversial plan for a nuclear-waste incinerator in Idaho to nuanced issues, including FDA enforcement of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

Since the late 1990s, his articles have been published in a variety of media, including but not limited to, the Cape Cod Times (in Massachusetts), Sedona Red Rock News (in Arizona), Denver Post (in Colorado), Casper Star-Tribune (in Wyoming), now-defunct Jackson Hole Guide (in Wyoming), Colorado Lawyer (published by the Colorado Bar Association) and Nutrition Business Journal.

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