FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 25, 2024

CONTACT:

Aaron Smith, CEO and Co-Founder
(888) 683-5650, Aaron@TheCannabisIndustry.org

Landmark Legislation to Regulate Legal Hemp Products Introduced in U.S. Senate
Cannabis industry advocates applaud Sen. Wyden for measured approach to controlling adult products

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act, legislation that would direct the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Alcohol Tax Tobacco & Trade Bureau (TTB) to regulate intoxicating hemp products which are currently already legal throughout the United States.

Congress legalized hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing less than 0.3% THC when it approved the 2018 Farm Bill but it did not implement a regulatory framework for these products. Sen. Wyden’s legislation seeks to address that lack of clarity.

The Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act (CSRA) would prohibit the marketing and sale of products containing intoxicating cannabinoids, such as THC, to minors under 21. The bill also bans the use of dangerous chemicals in the manufacturing process for hemp products and creates rules for testing and labeling these products for legal sales to adults, among other controls. 

Cannabis industry advocates and other stakeholders have long been concerned about the proliferation of unregulated hemp products and see the CSRA as a significant positive step toward resolving that issue. 

“For too long, federal inaction has fostered an unregulated marketplace for intoxicating hemp products, endangering the public and creating unfair competition for regulated cannabis businesses,” stated National Cannabis Industry Association CEO, Aaron Smith.

“The Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act solves this problem by implementing commonsense safeguards to ensure intoxicating hemp products are tested, properly labeled, and not made available to minors while creating a pathway for manufacturers to provide safe hemp products to adults through a regulated framework. We commend Senator Wyden for his leadership on this issue and look forward to helping to advance this legislation in Congress.” 

The debate surrounding cannabinoid products has led to some efforts to prohibit hemp-derived products entirely, including an temporary ban instituted as an emergency rule in California earlier this week.

“The vast majority of manufacturers of hemp products are responsible actors, already adhering to best practices and calling for regulations such as the bill introduced by Senator Wyden. Applying the failed policies of prohibition to these products rather than moving swiftly toward state and federal regulations is a backward-looking approach and doesn’t address the underlying public health concerns related to these products,” added Smith.

Full text of the Cannabinoid Safety and Regulation Act can be viewed here and a summary of the bill is available here. 

The total size of the U.S. hemp-derived cannabinoid market was estimated to be $28.4 billion in 2023, according to a report from leading cannabis economics firm, Whitney Economics. This is the same size as the nation’s craft beer industry. 

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The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is the largest cannabis trade association in the U.S. and the only organization representing small and independent cannabis-related businesses at the national level. NCIA promotes the growth of a responsible, sustainable, and inclusive cannabis industry and works for a favorable social, economic, and regulatory environment for that industry throughout the United States.