Senators Urge Regulation of Hemp Products to Ensure Consumer Safety

US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, joined by several of their colleagues, have written a letter to Senate leadership expressing strong opposition to any language in upcoming government spending bills that would re-criminalize hemp products. The lawmakers are instead calling for the full regulation of hemp-derived products to ensure consumer safety, particularly for children. This comes after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) failed to act on regulating these products for five years, leading to the proliferation of unregulated hemp products. The senators propose legislation that would establish a hemp-derived cannabinoid product framework, including restrictions on sale and possession, standardized packaging and labeling, prohibition of synthetic products, and independent third-party laboratory tests for consumable hemp-derived products.

Key Takeaways:

• The senators are urging Senate leadership to avoid re-criminalizing hemp products in government spending bills and instead work towards full regulation.
• In 2018, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Rand Paul, secured language in the Farm Bill to legalize hemp products at the federal level.
• The FDA failed to regulate hemp-derived products for five years, leading to the proliferation of unregulated hemp products.
• The senators introduce the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act to ensure the safety of children and adult consumers nationwide.
• The proposed legislation would restrict the sale and possession of hemp products to adults over age 21.
• The regulation would standardize packaging and labeling to eliminate "look-a-like" snack products appealing to children while allowing adult-only consumers to make informed choices.
• The proposed legislation would prohibit synthetic or artificially derived products.
• It would require independent third-party laboratory tests for consumable hemp-derived cannabinoid products to ensure safety.
• The letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks, John Hickenlooper, Cory Booker, Michael Bennet, Martin Heinrich, and Chris Van Hollen, in addition to Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.

Statistics:

• Five years have passed since the FDA failed to act on regulating hemp-derived products.
• Over this period, unregulated hemp products have proliferated.
• Hemp products have been legalized at the federal level through the Farm Bill since 2018.
• The senators propose a framework for regulating hemp-derived products, including restrictions on sale and possession, standardized packaging and labeling, and independent third-party laboratory tests for consumable products.

Sources:

• [Letter from Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to Senate leadership (text available)]
• [Source: Oregon Senator Ron Wyden's website (released statement)]
• [Source: US Senate (new release)]