Collin Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, is out of office after losing his reelection bid. The veteran Minnesota Democratic Congressman endorsed the bill to have the National Food and Agriculture authorities consider CBD derived from hemp as a dietary supplement.
Peterson will be replaced by his Republican rival, Michelle Fischbach, who won the heavily contested election on Tuesday, November 5, 2020. The outgoing House chairman lost his bid for the 16th time, having represented rural Western Minnesota District for the past 19 years. A change in demographics has since rendered him one of the most susceptible incumbents in the House.
Peterson was elected Agriculture Panel chair in 2007, a position he held until 2011. He would again regain the same position in 2018 when Democrats took control of the House in the same year. He made immense contributions to the agriculture sector, tabled several agricultural bills, and championed the state’s beet sugar industry.
While conceding defeat to Republican’s Fischbach, the outgoing congressman thanked the electorate for their support for almost two decades of service.
The ouster of Peterson renders the prospects for a successful CBD legislation by Congress bleak and uncertain. While Democrats have maintained the majority position in the House, they are yet to announce their next Candidate in 2021.
The CBD legislation bill sponsored by Peterson was never brought to hearing, yet it remains one of the boldest attempts to legalize the sale of hemp-derived CBD without a formal prescription.
According to U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CBD is a drug element whose sale and administration should only be permitted within pharmaceutical boundaries. However, federal and health authorities’ negligence to enforce this rule has resulted in a thriving industry of CBD over-the-counter production and consumption.
In his earlier statement, while introducing the bill, Peterson said the bill would allow the Federal Department of Agriculture to govern CBD derived from hemp as a dietary supplement, providing the green light for future hemp-derived products.
