Washington, DC—A coalition of 28 non-profit organizations representing every element of the hemp food chain and every region of the nation, along with four leading national dietary supplement organizations, are calling on leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to expedite a hearing on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) lack of regulation of the hemp market, including products such as cannabidiol (CBD). The groups sent a letter to Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Ranking Member Frank Pallone.
The group explained in a press release that, despite the legalization of hemp through the 2018 Farm Bill, the FDA has taken "no meaningful steps toward regulating hemp products, causing significant challenges for the industry." FDA inaction has caused consumer confusion, the group says, and with commodity prices dropping by more than 90%, U.S. farmers have suffered economically.
(Background: FDA: Existing Regulatory Frameworks for Foods & Supplements Not Appropriate for CBD)
In 2023, the House Energy and Commerce Committee joined the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee in issuing a Request for Information (RFI)—a move the hemp coalition commends. That said, the coalition added, other committees have held hearings on the matter (namely House Agriculture and House Oversight) while Energy and Commerce Committee has not yet acted to bring the RFI ideas to public light through a hearing. A hearing is needed to give committee members the chance to weigh in on "crucial issues for the survival of the hemp industry and the protection of health and public safety."
Jonathan Miller, General Counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, said in the release: “It is no small task to unite today’s hemp industry around a shared goal. But this letter, and the accompanying 28 organizations, have all agreed we need FDA action to regulate hemp products, and we need it now. The fate of the entire industry—hemp extracts, fiber, seed, etc.—depend on regulatory oversight, and we urge House Energy & Commerce to take swift action to address these issues through a hearing in the near future.”
