U.S. Hemp Roundtable Responds to Today’s Senate Action on Hemp

Today, at the instigation of Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed language very similar to the hemp ban inserted by Congressman Andy Harris in the House Agriculture Appropriations bill.  Here’s the base bill (page 132) and the report language (page 154).
The key difference is a one-year delay on implementation that was secured by Senator Jeff Merkley on behalf of the hemp industry.  (Merkley’s amendment is found here p. 2)
 
The bill has a long path before it is even considered to be law, and the one-year delay buys us time to fix it.  The US Hemp Roundtable will be fighting resolutely to defeat this ban and promote robust regulation.  Stay tuned, we will continue to rely on your help.
 
Statement from Jonathan Miller, General Counsel, U.S. Hemp Roundtable:
 
Senator McConnell got hemp right in the 2018 Farm Bill, and again today when he said that we need to prohibit dangerous synthetic and copycat products, while keeping all hemp products out of the hands of children.
 
However, how that is done matters. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable believes that the best way to do that is through robust regulation, not prohibition.
 
Regulation will protect hemp farmers and the $28 billion economic engine that is the hemp industry while also offering the protections that the Senate is seeking. A blanket ban on more than 90% of hemp consumable products is not the right path.
 
We are grateful to Senator Merkley for negotiating a one-year delay on implementation, to enable time to fix the language that was approved today. We look forward to working with Members of Congress in the coming months on this critical goal.

Here’s what you can do to help:

1. Participate in our email campaign: Use our Federal Action Center to quickly send a message to your member of Congress urging him or her to reject Rep. Harris’s anti-hemp language and protect the future of the legal hemp industry. 

2. Spread the Word: Share this urgent alert with your friends, family, and fellow hemp supporters. Read the Roundtable’s official statement and encourage others to join the fight to protect the hemp industry.

3. Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date on the latest developments regarding hemp across the country. Sign up for our newsletter to receive timely updates and action alerts. 

Together, we can make a difference and ensure that the hemp industry remaings protected. Let’s stand united in defense of the future of hemp!