Biden Administration Holds First Meeting with Hemp Industry
The conversation focused on key areas of interest for hemp companies, especially regarding testing laboratories and certification
Published on 02/03/2021
Curated and edited by Sechat Content, with information from Marijuana Moment (Kyle Jaeger)
Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the new Biden administration held their first meeting with stakeholders from the hemp industry last week to learn about market needs.
During the meeting, the chairman of the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC), Patrick Atagi, primarily spoke with Acting Agriculture Secretary Kevin Shea. The discussion revolved around key areas of interest for hemp companies, especially regarding testing laboratories and certification.
They also covered issues such as regulatory enforcement, an ongoing cannabis verification program, trade standards, and increased research and development for the crop.
Atagi told Marijuana Moment that the main goal of the meeting was "simply to ensure that the USDA is working on hemp issues currently. What's happening, but we also have new politicians - some who know the hemp industry and others who do not like it."
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Initially, the talk "went extremely well," Atagi said. He was appointed by the USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) last month to serve on a federal trade advisory committee. Additionally, he added that the meeting was held to ensure the agency is informed about the confirmation process of Biden's choice for Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack.
"There is a lot of work to be done," Atagi said. "But the USDA recognizes this and is bringing in people like us, who know the agency, know the regulations. We know where the bumps are in the areas of policy concern to work with them."
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Hemp Companies Prepare for Regulation Taking Effect in March
Meanwhile, hemp companies are preparing for the implementation of the USDA's final rule on hemp, released last month. These regulations will take effect on March 22.
Industry stakeholders say the rule is a positive step that will provide companies with the necessary guidance. However, they also pointed out a number of policies they hope to review as the market matures, such as USDA's hemp testing requirements.
This initial meeting with NIHC further demonstrates the agency's commitment to taking feedback into consideration as it moves forward with the implementation of its regulations.
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Meanwhile, the presidential transition is impacting pending rules and policies from the previous Trump administration - including those related to hemp and CBD.
However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrew a CBD enforcement guidance draft last month. Initially, it had been submitted for review by the White House under Trump last year. There are few details on what the proposal included, but it was expected to give the industry a better understanding of the federal perspective when it comes to marketing cannabis products.
