INDUSTRY UPDATES

December 01, 2021

New Congressional Cosponsors for Bills to Regulate CBD Now!

U.S. Hemp Roundtable

The movement to #RegulateCBDnow is making headway this week with two new members of Congress from Colorado coming on as cosponsors of critical bills that would federally regulate products containing hemp-derived CBD.

Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) is the latest to sign on as a Congressional cosponsor to H.R. 841 — a bill that would regulate hemp-derived CBD as a dietary supplement. The legislation now has the broad, bi-partisan support of 35 members of the U.S. House, with 22 Democrats and 13 Republicans from across 21 states.

Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) signed on today to co-sponsor S. 1698 — a similar bill in the Senate that would regulate hemp-derived CBD as a dietary supplement or food and beverage additive. This brings the total to four cosponsors – including Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).

Check out the full list of sponsors and state counts below for H.R. 841. If you do not see your state or members of Congress on the H.R. 841 overview below, or mentioned above as a cosponsor for S. 1698, please contact them today and ask them for their support!

Contact Your Members Of Congress

What would this legislation do?

H.R. 841 and S. 1698 would require CBD and hemp extract product manufacturers to comply with the entire existing comprehensive regulatory framework for dietary supplements or food and beverage additives, which ensures that the products are deemed safe, properly labeled, and prepared utilizing Good Manufacturing Practices.

Why does it matter?

For consumers, this legislation is especially important because it means greater safety and confidence in CBD products. Without a clear regulatory framework, bad actors are selling products without appropriate safeguards and are misleading consumers with false label claims. This bill would also create greater access to quality CBD products, as many retailers have been hesitant to sell CBD due to the unclear regulations.

Passage of this legislation would also help stabilize the hemp markets, open up a promising economic opportunity for U.S. agriculture and honor our commitment made to farmers in the 2018 Farm Bill. Following the legalization of hemp in 2018, farmers invested heavily in crops for CBD production. However, due to the failure of FDA to legally recognize and regulate products containing CBD, a lack of regulatory clarity has caused extreme financial hardship for farmers who were left without outlets or payment for their hemp crops after company bankruptcies and failed contracts. Clear laws and regulations would empower farmers to get out of the court system and back to the field with more secure access to banking and merchant services, and marketing opportunities.

We owe it to CBD consumers to ensure safety + hemp farmers to fulfill the 2018 Farm Bill commitments made to them!

If you haven’t already, please visit the online action center at regulateCBDnow.com and fill out the customizable form asking your members of Congress to support these critical bills.

Contact Your Members Of Congress

Help amplify the industry-wide call to Congress by sharing regulateCBDnow.com on social media! Encourage your friends and followers to fill out the form and spread the word. Together, we can ensure a safe and successful CBD industry for all. We appreciate your advocacy!