It seems like new hemp laws are being proposed every week, most of them being restrictive. Luckily for the industry, prohibitive efforts like those of Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) and Sen. Charles Perry (R-TX) have been repeatedly thwarted—still, the pressure remains as governments around the country fight to reverse the proliferation of intoxicating hemp products brought about by the 2018 Farm Bill. In a positive turn of events, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) has begun to circulate draft legislation that would permit and regulate consumable hemp products under the FDA.
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The bill is extensive. It includes provisions for the FDA to expressly allow hemp products—beverages included—and to establish robust THC milligram thresholds. This comes in the face of lawmakers attempting to quell the rise in popularity of intoxicating hemp drinks. Because of their ease of consumption and the amount of THC they can contain while still being classified as legal hemp, many feel as though hemp drinks being sold in even illegal states is a loophole that must be closed.
The bill also includes a strict packaging crackdown—a sentiment which has been echoed throughout Texas’s recent special sessions about weed. Griffith’s bill proposes that every label would be required to include the content per serving and per package of CBD and THC, as well as list every cannabinoid present. Packaging that is “attractive to people under 21” would be banned.
If passed, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) will be altered to include a new chapter about hemp products, giving the FDA the responsibility of regulating the products and providing cannabinoid limits for different products.
Hemp products would also be prohibited from containing alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or any other substance that may interact adversely with cannabis.
The bill has not yet been formally introduced and is open to feedback from shareholders as it is being edited.
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With all the pressure against hemp coming from the government, Griffith’s final bill may be a relief for hemp industry leaders. If passed, the hemp beverage industry especially will continue to blossom, changing the game for social weed consumption.