Last month, the pressure on the FDA to move forward with developing regulations for the CBD industry received a huge push when a new bill was introduced into the US House of Representatives by Collin Peterson (D-MN). This piece of legislation serves to circumvent the FDA’s inaction and take the matter directly to congress. The bill is titled H.R.5587 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the regulation of hemp-derived cannabidiol and hemp-derived cannabidiol containing substances. With bipartisan support, this new piece of legislation has the potential to have a huge impact on the hemp-based CBD industry, with important ripple effects into the world of veterinary medicine as well.
If passed, the main result would be that hemp-derived CBD and CBD-substances could be legally marketed as dietary supplements and permissible in food. It would also require the USDA to study and report on the regulatory and market barriers for farmers engaged in hemp production. Among other things, there could be viable options provided for hemp farmers who find themselves in the unfortunate (and potentially devastating) situation of having to destroy their crop if it tests above the allowable limits for THC content.
While there are many hurdles to overcome along the path of actually passing this into law, all the players in this burgeoning industry will be closely watching its progress.
To view the bill and track its progress, click here:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5587
To read a brief synopsis of the bill and the reason for it’s inception, click here:
https://hempsupporter.com/assets/uploads/Rep.-Peterson-DearColleague.pdf
To take action and show your support, click here:
https://hempsupporter.com/news/action-alert-help-secure-co-sponsors-on-hr-5587-that-would-prod-fda-to-act-on-cbd
HR 5587 pdf