So far, the road to legalizing cannabis has been a long and arduous journey, with many vocal opponents. However, recently, the tide against marijuana reform has shifted.
While opponents of legalization have long fought to reject bills seeking to regulate the industry, this rhetoric is shifting, as lawmakers come to terms with the fact that the plant is here to stay.
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During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Senator Thom Tillis made the case for lawmakers to enact stronger cannabis regulations. Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, argued that as states increasingly legalize cannabis, the absence of federal regulations allows illicit operators to thrive.
“Those of us who were not necessarily eager to legalize pot have lost,” he said during the hearing. “We have to realize that pot is going to be legal in this country in one form or another, and virtually every other state.”
24 states in the U.S. have already legalized adult-use cannabis. According to a Gallup poll, around 70 percent of Americans believe that marijuana should be legal.
Lawmakers seek to boost cannabis economy
Other lawmakers have recognized the importance of the nascent cannabis industry. Senator Rand Paul recently introduced the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act, which would triple the allowed concentration of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in hemp crops.
Currently, hemp crops with THC levels greater than 0.3 percent must be destroyed. The HEMP Act would increase that limit to one percent, which would alleviate many of the concerns from hemp businesses.
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The HEMP Act also seeks to address problems with testing requirements. Hemp processors currently get a 15-day window to test the crop’s flower to ensure that it is within the allowed THC concentration limit. Not only is this short window placing a lot of strain on hemp farmers, but the THC concentration in the flowers is also heavily impacted by environmental factors, which farmers cannot control. Instead, the bill calls for the final hemp products themselves to be tested instead of the flowers, as hemp processors and manufacturers have control over the THC concentration in their products.
Potential Setbacks
Despite headwinds, the fight to legalize cannabis and regulate the industry is far from over. Recently, a House committee approved a spending bill containing provisions that prohibit most consumable cannabinoid products, despite them being federally legalized during the first Trump administration.
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This measure would prohibit cannabis products containing any “quantifiable” amount of THC, or any other cannabinoids that have similar effects, effectively eliminating even the most commonly marketed hemp products within the industry. Even non-intoxicating CBD items that contain trace amounts of THC would be prohibited, even if those products contain less than 0.3 percent of THC, as current law allows.
Hemp industry stakeholders say this would effectively decimate the industry.
“By pushing a rapidly evolving industry back into the shadows, Congress is creating even more chaos in the marketplace, undermining state initiatives and punishing responsible actors,” Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America President and CEO Francis Creighton said in a press release.
The future of cannabis reform looks uncertain, but it is clear that the current landscape is facing serious changes.