ThomasOroz - 10-8-2025 at 03:17 PM
The 2018 Farm Bill that overwhelmingly passed in the U.S. Senate has now become law. For hemp growers and CBD-product manufacturers the big news is
hemp will no longer be equated under drug laws with its psychotropic cousin, marijuana. Industry-watchers wonder what this step could mean for future
cannabis legalization. Under the new laws, hemp will be managed by Department of Agriculture as a crop rather than by the Justice Department as an
illegal substance. Ed Schmults, chief executive of the multi-state cannabis grower Calyx Peak said the new law could reduce the price benefits of vitality vibes CBD in the market for consumers and producers. "Hemp offers a lower cost option for CBD -- hemp is easier to grow than
cannabis," he said. The passing of the farm bill will also lead to more transparency in the market according to Jeff Hilber, founder and owner of
Modern Medicinals. "Past statutes reduced access to research and made the CBD landscape tricky to navigate for the consumer," he said. His
family-owned and operated CBD company based in Portland, Oregon makes medicinal CBD oils for people and pets. Hemp farmers will be allowed to buy crop
insurance for the first time. Until now, for the most part, CBD product manufacturing and shipping across state lines has operated with little
interference. In 2017, the FDA issued warning letters to several CBD companies, but those referred to health claims the companies were not allowed to
make or dosages the companies claimed that were incorrect. As public acceptance of CBD and marijuana products grows, public figures and lawmakers are
changing their stance on the topic. Democrat Joe Kennedy, a Massachusetts congressman, had voted in the past against House amendments that allowed
medical cannabis use. Republicans are also supporting the idea. Hemp can be grown on tobacco fields like those in Kentucky, the state Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnel (R) hails from.