Hemp is often known for being the part of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get people high.
It’s full of CBD, a nonpyschoactive cannabinoid that helps people relax and often found in massage oils and sleep aids.
But much has changed since hemp was taken off the controlled substance list in 2018 by the last U.S. Agriculture Improvement Act, more commonly known as the farm bill.
Now state regulators can barely keep up with the constantly evolving ways that people have found to make intoxicating products from hemp. The market for things like Delta-8 drinks and edibles is one of the fastest growing markets in the country.
In Missouri, the issue has taken center stage in a massive cannabis recall, where a company is accused of illegally importing marijuana but insists it actually brought legal, unregulated hemp into the state.
With the farm bill up for renewal, the debate on whether some hemp products need to be considered controlled substances is back on the table — though delays make it unclear if any changes will occur at all.
Hemp industry leaders, state marijuana regulators and members of Congress all seem to agree on one thing — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should regulate CBD. But the divides come with intoxicating hemp products, and the standoff is over criminalization and prohibition.
Hemp industry leaders don’t want to see these intoxicating products banned and have suggested the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau handle their regulation.
Source: kbia.org
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jessicahyde
Categories: Missouri, Crops, Tobacco, Government & Policy