Two competing bills that could significantly reshape the hemp industry in Massachusetts are both set to receive a public hearing on July 9.

Massachusetts State House.

The Joint Committee on Agriculture has scheduled a hearing from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Room A-1 to consider both House Bill 117 and Senate Bill 54, each filed in February by Representative Mark Cusack and Senator Joanne Comerford, respectively.

House Bill 117, titled An Act relative to hemp and hemp products in the Commonwealth, would broaden the legal market for hemp-derived products by clarifying that cannabinoids such as CBD can be included in food, beverages, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. It would prevent these products from being deemed adulterated based solely on their hemp content and would allow interstate hemp commerce, provided the products are legally produced under federal standards.

In contrast, Senate Bill 54, titled An Act regulating the sale of hemp products to protect public health, would impose a 10.75% excise fee on hemp products sold outside licensed marijuana dispensaries and would prohibit the sale of ingestible or inhalable cannabinoid products outside the regulated marijuana market. It would also establish strict packaging rules, product restrictions, and enforcement authority for local boards of health, with funding provided through a newly created Hemp Product Education Fund.

The hearing on July 9 will provide lawmakers and the public with an opportunity to weigh the two sharply contrasting approaches to hemp regulation—one focused on expanding access and protecting the industry, the other centered on curbing intoxicating hemp products and enforcing tighter controls.