Congressional Bill Is Game-Changer For CBD Regulation, It's 'Long Overdue,' Says Hemp Coalition

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) made headlines a week ago after introducing the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA), a measure that seeks to set up a federal framework for regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids like CBD and Delta-8 THC.

On Wednesday, ONE HEMP hailed Congressional action toward the regulation of CBD as a dietary supplement, calling the move "long overdue."

The coalition of industry leaders was committed to advancing regulatory standards for hemp-derived cannabinoid (CBD) products for years.

“ONE HEMP has been deeply committed to a bipartisan legislative process and has worked closely with Congressional leaders on both sides of the political aisle to provide scientific and market expertise," said Kelly D. Fair, ONE HEMP counsel and partner at Dentons US. “The Wyden bill marks the beginning of a process that will ultimately lead to an approach that will promote a vibrant CBD industry and ensure access for millions of consumers to the highest quality and safest CBD products.” 

ONE HEMP added the legislative effort is a result of collaborative work between industry leaders, highlighting Charlotte’s Web's CWEB CWBHF participation. The medical cannabis pioneer has been at the forefront of advancing FDA-level regulatory standards for more than a decade, the organization said.

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Bill Morachnick, CEO of Charlotte’s Web, praised the legislative milestone, calling the CSRA "a critical step for the CBD industry."

“Charlotte’s Web is proud to be joined together with other CBD industry leaders as part of ONE HEMP to provide the support Congress needs to ensure the best possible path forward for our industry, and, more importantly, the millions of consumers who rely on our products,” Morachnick added.

The company, which has been at the forefront of CBD hemp extract wellness products space for years, expressed strong opposition to the new regulations in California that restrict the sale of many ingestible full-spectrum hemp CBD products that meet federal requirements.

Morachnick said Governor Gavin Newsom‘s emergency ban on all hemp-derived THC products in the Golden State, which recently went into effect is “overreaching and unnecessarily restrict access to safe, non-intoxicating hemp products."

He is not against the regulation of synthetic and intoxicating products though. ONE HEMP is of the same stance.

"This Congressional step [CSRA] comes at a critical time, as the vacuum of federal regulation in the wake of the 2018 Farm Bill has been filled by intoxicating hemp-derived synthetic cannabinoid products being presented to consumers in the market as CBD, leading states to act – and often unduly capturing non-intoxicating CBD products," the coalition said in a press release.

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