Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree Introduces Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 to “Unburden the Hemp Industry”
This article originally appeared on LetsTalkHemp.com
By Steven Hoffman
U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) on February 8 introduced the Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 to improve the 2018 Farm Bill’s hemp provisions and provide greater clarity and flexibility to hemp growers and processors. While hemp production was federally legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill, red tape and regulatory uncertainty has hindered industry growth, the Congresswoman said in a statement.
“The 2018 Farm Bill laid a legal pathway for hemp production but created overly complicated regulations and hardship for farmers and small businesses in the process. I am introducing the Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 to eliminate unworkable testing requirements, set reasonable THC thresholds for producers and processors while protecting consumers, and end the discriminatory policy that bans people with drug convictions from growing legal hemp,” said Rep. Pingree.
“My bill takes a commonsense, straightforward approach to correct these unintended implementation problems and works to make the hemp industry more profitable and more equitable. My bill also provides a clear path forward for this industry and will support a thriving hemp economy,” she added.
Congresswoman Pingree released a short YouTube video clip about the Hemp Advancement Act here.
According to Rep. Pingree’s office, the Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 would:
Raise the allowable THC threshold for hemp and in-process hemp extract to make the rules more workable for growers and processors while ensuring that final hemp products sold to consumers aren’t intoxicating
Remove the requirement that hemp testing occur in DEA-registered laboratories, which is a particular challenge in Maine where there currently aren’t any of these facilities
End the 10-year ban on people with drug-related felony convictions receiving a hemp license, which disproportionately excludes communities of color from participating in this emerging market
“We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Chellie Pingree for her strong leadership in spearheading this legislation on behalf of hemp growers, processors, and consumers nationwide. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable is proud to have led a broad-based industry effort to propose the policies that underlie this legislation and to have worked closely with Rep. Pingree’s excellent staff throughout the drafting process to ensure our concerns were taken into consideration. Rep. Pingree’s vision and tenacity will make a significant and meaningful difference for our emerging industry,” U.S. Hemp Roundtable said in a statement.
According to Rep. Pingree’s office, the Congresswoman has long supported the nation’s hemp farmers and hemp-derived CBD businesses, which have been at the mercy of unclear federal regulations. In February 2021, Rep. Pingree joined 18 members of Congress in reintroducing the bipartisan Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act, legislation to provide a regulatory pathway for the legal sale of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD), as dietary supplements.
In September 2019, Rep. Pingree led a bipartisan effort urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a regulatory pathway for food products containing hemp-derived CBD. She also voted to pass the MORE Act in December 2020, which would decriminalize marijuana and remove federal obstacles for Maine’s burgeoning legal marijuana industry.
The Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 is supported by the American Herbal Products Association, Americans for Safe Access, Association of Western Hemp Professionals, Friends of Hemp, Hemp Alliance of Tennessee, Hemp Industries Association, iHemp Michigan, Realm of Caring Foundation, Inc., U.S. Hemp Authority, U.S. Hemp Building Association, U.S. Hemp Roundtable, Veterinary Cannabis Society, Virginia Hemp Coalition and the Wisconsin Hemp Alliance.
UN Vote on Cannabis Could Impact THC and CBD Products Worldwide
This article originally appeared in the November 18, 2020 edition of the Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
The United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is scheduled to vote on December 2 on the fate of cannabis recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO). The vote, reports Green Entrepreneur, will affect a series of recommendations for THC and CBD products, including pharmaceutical cannabis products such as Marinol, Syndros and Sativex.
“Among its recommendations, the WHO calls for all forms of THC to be removed from the drug convention of 1961, placing it with cannabis in Schedule I, the least restrictive classification by UN standards. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical cannabis medications would be placed in Schedule III,” Green Entrepreneur reported.
“In addition to the WHO’s recommendation on rescheduling cannabis and cannabis resins, another significant recommendation relates to ‘cannabidiol preparations,’ or CBD, Nushin Rashidian reported in Cannabis Wire. “The WHO already took a position in 2018 that pure CBD doesn’t warrant regulation. This latest recommendation is to put that position into effect by adding a note under the cannabis and cannabis resin entry under Schedule I that ‘preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2% of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control,’” Rashidian wrote.
It should be noted that while Schedule I in the U.S. means the most stringent of regulated categories under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), under the UN 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, Schedule IV is the most restrictive and includes substances considered dangerous with limited or no medical value. “In removing cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV, the WHO is effectively acknowledging its medical utility, Cannabis Wire reported.
Writing in Forbes, leading cannabis attorney Bob Hoban said, “The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is an international treaty prohibiting production and supply of specific drugs and of drugs with similar effects — except under governmental license for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research. Under the Single Convention, Cannabis (not ‘marihuana’ or ‘marijuana’) is categorized alongside cocaine and heroin as a dangerous substance with no medicinal benefit and a high potential for abuse,” he wrote.
“The UN Convention doesn’t distinguish between marijuana or hemp or make other legal distinctions that exist in the United States, but defines the substance as ‘cannabis’ and generally comments on the legality of its various uses. This excludes most ‘industrial’ uses of cannabis, or what we think of as non-psychoactive hemp in the United States, from UN control. These industrial uses can include applications for textiles, bioplastics, pulp for paper, and biofuels, just to name a few” Hoban reported.
No Changes Anticipated in the Near Future
Hoban noted that even if the UN votes to approve WHO’s cannabis recommendations, the legality of cannabis won’t change in the near future.
“Here’s an example: if the UN were to adopt these changes, or even if the Single Convention were abolished in its entirety (highly unlikely), its tenets continue to be ingrained in the United States’ CSA and the domestic laws of its numerous signatories. Until those laws are also repealed, amended, altered or otherwise modified, nothing will change overnight because of the political will and conflict in signatory countries” he wrote in Forbes.
Representatives of the U.S. said the country will not support recommendations regarding CBD as a medical preparation, Hemp Today reported. “The U.S. representative said the WHO proposal to remove CBD medicine from international drug controls could ‘introduce legal ambiguities and contradictions that would undermine effective drug control.’ Instead, she reaffirmed that medical CBD is not scheduled in the Conventions, and therefore not subject to drug controls, reminding as well that CBD which may be present in industrial hemp products are similarly exempt,” Hemp Today reported.
In addition to the U.S., not all member states, including Russia, are on board with WHO’s cannabis recommendations or any changes to international drug rules. However, a group of international NGOs (non-governmental organizations) signed on the support approving WHO’s recommendations, according to activist and organizer Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli, based in Barcelona, Spain.
NGOs Encouraged to Sign On to Support WHO’s Cannabis Recommendations
“As you may know, the United Nations will make a historic decision on medical cannabis in early December 2020,” Riboulet-Zemouli said in an email communication. “Together with ECOSOC-accredited organizations [referring to the UN Economic and Social Council], we have created a statement to be submitted to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs member states for consideration. We are calling on global drug policy reformers, patients, advocacy, and health organizations to sign-on,” he said.
“This statement will be submitted to the proper authority at the Commission of Narcotic Drugs for inclusion during the proceedings and in the official records, showing that NGOs care about the issue at stake. We would like for your organization to be included,” Roboulet-Zemouli added.
Read More
The World Health Organization Says Reschedule Cannabis: Will the UN Agree?
What You Need to Know about the Possible Historic U.N. Vote on Cannabis
WHO Scheduling Recommendations on Cannabis and Cannabis-related substances
NGO Statement to the UN Regarding Patient Access to Cannabis Medicine
The 1 Percent Solution: Controversial Debate Regarding Legal THC Levels In Hemp Sets Stage for Larger Discussion at Experience Hemp SUMMER SOLSTICE, June 16-19, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The 1 Percent Solution: Controversial Debate Regarding Legal THC Levels In Hemp Sets Stage for Larger Discussion at Experience Hemp SUMMER SOLSTICE, June 16-19, 2020
Hemp Advocates Lobby to Change Rigid Government Policies. Panelists to Discuss Why the 1 Percent Ranking is the Solution for the Hemp Industry and Why The USDA’s 0.3 Percent is Arbitrary and Wrong. Join the Conversation and Have Your Voice Heard on Hemp Regulations.
What: Experience Hemp SUMMER SOLSTICE Virtual Conference and Trade Show
When: June 16-19, 2020
To Register: Click Here for FREE Registration
Denver, CO (May 21, 2020) – As the U.S. hemp market continues to evolve, so does the controversial debate between farmers and government officials regarding THC levels found in hemp plants. The discussion has drawn mixed criticism industry-wide and has gained national media attention for the government’s complex policy. That’s why organizers of NoCo Hemp Expo’s Experience Hemp SUMMER SOLSTICE Virtual Conference and Trade Show have dedicated a live webcast on the topic: The 1.0 Percent Solution - Why 0.3 Percent THC is Arbitrary and Wrong, June 18, 2:00 pm MDT.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), all domestic hemp plants must be tested for THC levels that cannot exceed 0.3 percent in THC, which differentiates legal hemp from illegal marijuana. For example, the USDA deems that if a tested hemp plant exceeds the mandated 0.3 percent at harvest, then that farmer must destroy that crop.
That mandate has not been favorable in the eyes of farmers, which has left many empty-handed in a field of green hope. Last year, according to Pew Trust's Stateline, 4,309 acres of hemp in 16 states were destroyed because those plants tested over the 0.3 percent limit. Additionally, Cannabis Business Times reports that the U.S. trails other countries, such as Thailand and Switzerland, where they have enacted the one percent rule for hemp plants.
“The hemp industry is fired up regarding this numbers game farmers are having to play with the government, which sets them up for undeserved risk. This is a crucial time for our community to unite and effectively lobby for Congress to change the ruling to one percent,” said Morris Beegle, Let’s Talk Hemp Media Co-founder and Producer of NoCo Hemp Expo. “We’re looking forward to this lively discussion at next month’s conference and hope that people take advantage of the open forum to be heard on this matter.”
Experience Hemp SUMMER SOLSTICE
The ‘One Percent’ discussion is one of six, 90-minute live webcasts that will be featured during the Experience Hemp SUMMER SOLSTICE Virtual Conference and Trade Show. Each webcast Supersession will be offered twice a day, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, June 16-18. Let’s Talk Hemp webcast hosts Morris Beegle and Rick Trojan will lead the live interactive chats with panelists and guest speakers.
Virtual Expo Halls
Attendees will also have access to the virtual Expo Halls featuring a variety of hemp businesses, brands, products, and professional services. The interactive rooms offer an opportunity to connect with hemp-based companies and keep the conversations moving forward to strengthen our industry.
Explore innovative hemp brands from around the globe
Engage, discuss and make valuable connections in the virtual Networking Lounges
Search for career opportunities and post resumes in the Job Fair Lounge
Catch footage from past hemp events in the Library
The Expo halls will remain open through Friday, June 19, with pre-recorded content, trade show, and more networking opportunities, including dozens of videos and pre-recorded content in the exclusive Let's Talk Hemp Library & Archives.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Register today for the FREE Experience Hemp SUMMER SOLSTICE Virtual Conference and Trade Show. If you participated and registered for the NoCo Hemp Expo EARTH WEEK virtual event this past May, attendees can log in on June 16, 2020, with the same email address. For Exhibitor and Sponsor interest, please click here for more information.
About Let’s Talk Hemp Media
Let's Talk Hemp is a leading media platform that focuses on “Changing the Cannabis Conversation.” We curate news, education, and information about hemp and cannabis to our podcast listeners, newsletter subscribers, and digital magazine readers so that they can learn more about the industry and get tips and tricks on the latest technologies. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and learn about everything from legal updates, farming, production, and new products entering the hemp and cannabis space. Let's Talk Hemp is a publication of the Colorado Hemp Company (a division of We Are For Better Alternatives WAFBA) focused specifically on the subject of industrial hemp and cannabis. Let’s Talk Hemp features news globally and shares the benefits of cannabis on health, energy, manufacturing, and the planet (HEMP).
About Colorado Hemp Company
The Colorado Hemp Company, the producer of the 7th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo (NoCo7), is a leading organization for the advancement and advocacy of hemp farming, processing, production, innovation, education, and legalization in the USA. The entire team is committed to researching and developing alternatives so that hemp can once again thrive and help individuals and communities throughout America and around the globe.
Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com
Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, 970.541.0448, info@nocohempexpo.com
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