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.