Democratic Senators Urge Leadership to Protect Hemp Legalization in Government Funding Bills  

A group of Democratic U.S. Senators are urging the chamber’s leaders to
protect hemp legalization in the government spending bill. In a letter to
Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY),
the eight senators wrote that they oppose “the inclusion of any language”
in the bill “that would decimate the American agricultural hemp industry
and imperil states’ ability to prevent unsafe hemp-derived cannabinoid
products from getting into the hands of children.”

In the letter, the senators point to language in the Agriculture-FDA
Appropriations Bill which recriminalizes products they describe
as “currently prolific across” the U.S. but lacks “any method to remove
them from the stream of commerce.” The letter makes a direct appeal to
Thune, saying the language would reduce the amount of hemp cultivation in
South Dakota from 3,900 acres to zero.

“By arbitrarily changing the definition of a crop to regulate finished
products, Congress would effectively turn out the lights on America’s
law-abiding hemp farmers and undermine ongoing work by our colleagues in
authorizing committees and in states that have created regulatory
frameworks for hemp products.” — Sens. Ron Wyden (OR), Jeffrey Merkley
(OR), Angela Alsobrooks (MD), John Hickenlooper (CO), Cory Booker (NJ),
Martin Heinrich (NM), Michael Bennet (CO), Chris Van Hollen (MD), in the
letter

The senators suggest, instead of a ban, language should be included that
restricts the sale and possession of hemp products to adults over age
21; standardizes packaging and labeling to ban “look-a-like” snack products
that are appealing to children; prohibiting synthetic or artificially
derived products; and “requiring independent third-party laboratory tests
for consumable hemp-derived cannabinoid products to ensure safety.”

The letter notes that the hemp industry in the U.S. supports 320,000 jobs,
generates $28.4 billion in regulated market activity, and produces $1.5
billion in state tax revenues.