Congressional lawmakers updated several spending bills and reports dealing with important issues in the cannabis and hemp industries. New documents published by the House Appropriations Committee address hemp manufacturing problems, CBD advertising, home loan benefits for veterans employed in legal marijuana markets, research into medical cannabis for veterans, and alternative treatments for PTSD such as psychedelics.
‘Hot’ Hemp Challenges
In the report serving as an explanation of the accompanying bill making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for fiscal year 2023, the committee discussed the ongoing problem hemp farmers are often facing – “hot hemp,” which is when it contains more than 0.3% of THC, illegal under the federal law.
Regulators recognized the problems of the extraction process, which is known to temporarily raise the THC content. The committee advised the USDA to cooperate directly with the DEA to provide the industry with necessary guidance and information.
“Hemp Extract Regulation.—The Committee is concerned about the inconsistencies in the regulation of the production of hemp by USDA and DEA. Congress vested primary regulatory authority in USDA and expects other regulatory actions to align with it. Congress intentionally expanded the definition of hemp to include derivatives, extracts, and cannabinoids in an effort to avoid the criminalization of hemp processing. Committee …