USDA Final Hemp Rule draws mixed reactions from industry stakeholders The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the final rule regulating the production of hemp in the United States well over a year after publishing draft regulations.
The Final Rule incorporates modifications to regulations established under the interim final rule (IFR) published in October 2019. The modifications are based on some 5,900 public comments and lessons learned during the 2020 growing season.
“USDA staff have taken the information you have provided through three comment periods and from your experiences over a growing season to develop regulations that meet Congressional intent while providing a fair, consistent, science-based process for states, tribes and individual producers. USDA staff will continue to conduct education and outreach to help industry achieve compliance with the requirements,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Unde
USDA “is in the final stages of rulemaking” for the domestic production of hemp, an agency spokesperson said Tuesday.
A final rule would supplant an interim final rule (IFR) adopted in 2019 that drew myriad concerns from the hemp industry and other stakeholders.
The IFR outlined provisions for USDA to approve plans submitted by states and Indian tribes for domestic hemp production. It also established a federal plan for producers in states or territories of Indian tribes that do not have their own USDA-approved plan.
“It is USDA’s intention to have the [final] rule in effect to accommodate the 2021 planting season,” an agency spokesperson told Natural Products Insider in an emailed statement.
Botanical sourcing and sustainability priorities for 2021 Each New Year presents an opportunity to take stock of where we are and to reevaluate our priorities for the near- and long-term future. We each make our resolutions and then motivate ourselves to meet our goals, whether modest or lofty. With 2021 upon us, industry-wide commitments to sustainable sourcing of the many botanical commodities used in our products will both support continued category growth and align us with heightened consumer demands for such assurances.
As the year 2020 dawned, expectations were high for this annual tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions, with the obvious symbolism of clarity associated with 20/20 vision. As the year now comes to a merciful close, it is certain that 2020 will be remembered not for clarity and clear vision, but for the many challenges that seemed to pile on throughout the year. The novel coronavirus has impacted the entire world, and here at h
Editorial credit: Felix Lipov / Shutterstock.com According to a Federal Trade Commission official, settlements in a law enforcement sweep against CBD marketers send a clear message to the growing sector: Don’t make spurious health claims that are unsupported by medical science.
A handful of marketers of CBD products have agreed to each pay tens of thousands of dollars to the Federal Trade Commission after they were charged with making deceptive claims.
Dubbed “Operation CBDeceit,” the sweep of actions against six sellers of CBD-containing products highlights “the first law enforcement crackdown on deceptive claims” in the CBD market, according to the government agency in a Dec. 17 news release. The sweep also reflects the FTC’s ongoing efforts to protect consumers from deceptive, false and misleading health claims in advertisements on websites and via social media.