American Hemp Campaign Releases Model Plan for State Hemp Programs
Feb 28, 2019
The American Hemp Campaign released a model plan for state hemp programs today, which will guide policymakers in the development of regulatory regimes governing hemp production across the U.S. Several members of the Vicente Sederberg Hemp and Cannabinoids Practice Group participated in the production of the "2018 Farm Bill Policy Guide and Model Hemp Production Plan," including partner Shawn Hauser, the plan's lead author and a member of the steering committee for the American Hemp Campaign.
Hemp Industry Daily reports:
The American Hemp Campaign, a national pro-hemp lobbying effort, released a model plan on Wednesday. The group calls it a guide for state officials developing regulations.
Vicente Sederberg’s Hauser, who has been heading up the effort, told Hemp Industry Daily that because most states are developing their own requirements, which must be approved by the USDA, they need guidance for creating the most comprehensive and fair laws possible.
“The goal of the model plan we drafted is to provide the basic fundamental policy considerations and framework for states to regulate cultivation,” she said.
“And if states want to add requirements that govern more on the processing side, which is not under purview of the Farm Bill, they can add those as well.”
The feedback has been positive so far, she added.
“State policy makers are grateful for any guidance,” Hauser said. “It’s a new area that they haven’t worked with before. The model plan also provides education as to what the policy considerations in other states have been.”
Hauser and the American Hemp Campaign have been in contact with state officials and other stakeholders around the country who are working to develop and implement state hemp programs. Most recently, she assisted members and staffers of the Texas House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock with their preparation of an interim report that was released last month, which recommended the Legislature legalize and regulate hemp farming.