The Fireside Chat series of NCIA’s #IndustryEssentials webinars are an exclusive opportunity for NCIA members to hear from our government relations team and guests about the latest developments in federal policy.

In this editions of our Fireside Chat series originally broadcast on Wednesday, September 9, Mike and Michelle hosted Eric Steenstra, Executive Director at Vote Hemp, and Tami Wahl, a lawyer and lobbyist in D.C., for a lively discussion amongst friends about the future of hemp.

In 2018, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which included the Hemp Farming Act, effectively legalizing hemp (with some serious restrictions). However, since passage, farmers, businesses, and the states themselves have struggled with the lack of clarity from the federal government. Vote Hemp was founded in 2000 to bring back hemp as a commercial crop in the U.S. and has been instrumental in inclusion of hemp in the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills as well as changes to many state laws. And over the past year, Tami has been working on farmer-friendly legislation to open end markets for hemp farmers by removing FDA’s barrier for CBD.

Our panel discussed COVID-19, relief accessibility, and how the pandemic has affected all aspects of the hemp industry. They also explored talk about legislative activity, the DEA and a new lawsuit that was just filed against the agency regarding hemp, and will chat about the FDA and the regulation of cannabis and hemp derived products.

Shifting back to Congress, Mike and Michelle also talked to Eric and Tami about the pending continuing resolution that would extend the 2014 hemp pilot program, as well as the amount of time the USDA has to finalize its hemp rules. And of course, it wouldn’t have been an NCIA Government Relations webinar if we didn’t talk about SAFE Banking– so make sure you tune in to hear the latest on how the hemp industry is dealing with financial institutions in a post-legalization world.

Panelists:

Eric Steenstra
Executive Director
Vote Hemp

Tami Wahl
Founder
Modern Advocates

Michael Correia
Director of Government Relations
National Cannabis Industry Association

Michelle Rutter-Friberg
Deputy Director of Government Relations
National Cannabis Industry Association