Hemp Coalition Releases Additional Hemp Policy Recommendations
Mar 24, 2020
A coalition of hemp industry stakeholders released a second set of new policy recommendations today for officials who are working on developing and implementing federally compliant state hemp programs. Attorneys with Vicente Sederberg's hemp and cannabinoids department authored the document with support from Agricultural Hemp Solutions, the American Herbal Products Association, the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, and Vote Hemp.
"Part Two: Programmatic Considerations" is the second part of a two-part update to the VS-authored "2018 Farm Bill Policy Guide and Model Hemp Production Plan," which was released in February 2019 by the American Hemp Campaign. This second part addresses the regulation of hemp-related activities such as transporting, processing, and sale, which are outside the scope of USDA authority. The first part of the update, which was released late last month, focused on hemp production. Both documents aim to promote compliance with the 2018 farm bill and new hemp regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last October.
In a statement accompanying the release of part one, lead author and VS partner Shawn Hauser said:
"Our updated policy guide and model plan outline the best practices and legal requirements states can utilize to create hemp programs that are operable, successful, and federally compliant. We plan to continue updating these documents to reflect the evolving legal and regulatory landscape governing the burgeoning U.S. hemp industry."
"Congress took a monumental step forward by ending our federal government's decades-long prohibition on hemp production. It is equally important that it be replaced with sensible laws and regulations that protect public health and safety while also allowing this new industry to flourish. This crop has an exceptional amount of potential to boost our economy and improve our environment, but it will only be reached if the rules that govern it are fair and practical."