U.S. Hemp Roundtable Members Respond To Congress On CBD Regulations, Here's What They Said

In July, Congress officially addressed the impact of the FDA's inaction regarding regulations for cannabidiol (CBD) products by holding a hearing: "Hemp in the Modern World: The Years long Wait for FDA Action." CBD regulations will undoubtedly be a burning topic among many other marijuana issues at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago this Sept. 27-28.

Following the inaugural congressional hearing on hemp and CBD, four congress members from both major parties and each chamber, including Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Frank Pallone, and Sens. Bill Cassidy and Bernard Sanders jointly issued a Request for Information (RFI). The document included 29 questions to gather more info to streamline their legislative efforts to regulate hemp extracts, including CBD, through the FDA.

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable's response to the Congress members came a few days before the August 18 deadline. The final 50-page document included elaborate answers to all the questions listed in the RFI.

Experts from one of the leading national advocacy organizations covered a myriad of CBD-related topics. They wrote about what a framework for regulating CBD products should encompass, recommended limits for THC and other cannabinoids in finished products and restrictions on CBD products regarding marketing, packaging, and labeling, to name a few.

The Non-Impairing THC Limit

As part of the document, the organization also submitted a white paper explaining why a limit of 5 mg per serving of THC in hemp products is viable.

"The evidence presented in this white paper supports the implementation of a limit of 5 mg per serving of THC in all hemp-based products," the paper said. "The reviewed studies demonstrate a 5 mg per serving size limit on orally ingested THC is non-impairing."

The hemp industry's national advocacy organization earlier expressed its opposition to the previous FDA's presentation of a potential CBD framework. The coalition's general counsel, Jonathan Miller, wrote to key congressional leaders in May notifying them that the FDA based its refusal to regulate CBD as a dietary supplement or food additive on what the agency called the inaccurate use of incomplete safety data.

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the place where deals get done, is returning to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. Get your tickets today before prices increase and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment and branding.

Photo: Courtesy of Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash