Hemp Product Ban: Co-founder Jim Higdon on Overturning Congress's Provision

The Hemp Product Ban

• 🚫 Congress has approved a provision that will effectively ban hemp-derived products like gummies and beverages, with a 346-day deadline to overturn it.
• 🎯 This ban is seen as a travesty, impacting millions of users who rely on these products for alternatives to harsher medicines.

The 2018 Farm Bill and Loopholes

• 📜 The plain language of the 2018 Farm Bill allows for THC below 0.3%, a standard Cornbread Hemp and others have followed precisely.
• 🧐 The accusation of exploiting a loophole is refuted, as companies were adhering to the letter of the law written in part by Mitch McConnell.

New Regulations and Impact

• ⚖️ The new cap on THC is set at 0.4 milligrams per package, which will effectively make all hemp products schedule one narcotics within a year.
• 👴 Millions of Americans, particularly older adults (60% of Cornbread Hemp's gummy customers are over 65), use hemp products for pain, anxiety, and sleep.

Motivations Behind the Ban

• 🥃 The bourbon industry is identified as a primary driver, seeking to eliminate competition from popular hemp beverages.
• 🏛️ Mitch McConnell, who was instrumental in the 2018 Farm Bill, is now seen as acting on behalf of the bourbon industry against hemp producers.

The Path Forward

• ✊ An "all hands on deck" approach is needed over the next 364 days to overturn the provision.
• 🌾 The effort is crucial not only for consumers but also for farmers who depend on hemp for their livelihoods and risk losing their farms.
• 📢 Leaders in Congress are beginning to pay attention, realizing the negative implications of the ban, with efforts underway in Washington D.C. to address the issue.