In a bid to clear up legal confusion over products made from hemp and support the growing industry, two congressmen have sponsored a bill that would turn hemp into a dietary supplement.
The bill was put forth by representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR). They hope to clear up the confusion around hemp and bring the country in line with the statements made in the 2018 farm bill.
“Hemp was historically an important crop for Virginia farmers, and dietary supplements made from it do not possess dangerous addictive qualities,” Morgan Griffith told the press. “Nevertheless, the current state of regulation creates confusion about its legal uses. I joined this bipartisan bill to provide certainty for hemp farmers that their crop may find legal uses.”
The bill, called “The Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2020” would force hemp and hemp-derived products to fall under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and be classified as both a dietary ingredient and a dietary supplement.
This isn’t the first time legislators have tried to pass a bill like this. A similar bill that targeted making hemp a dietary supplement was proposed in January, again with bipartisan support. That bill wasn’t voted on by congress.
Hemp companies would still have to follow all labeling requirements, but they would be allowed to sell CBD in food. The push would open up hemp to broader markets and more consumers who are already waiting for new ways to consume hemp.
