The bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act has gained two new cosponsors in the U.S. House, bringing the total number of lawmakers backing the proposal to six.
Representatives Gabe Evans (R-CO) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) formally joined H.R. 9830 today as official sponsors. Their additions bring support for the measure to three Republicans and three Democrats.
The bill was introduced July 22 by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), with Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) joining as an original cosponsor. Representatives Tim Moore (R-NC) and Marc Veasey (D-TX) added their names July 30.
The six lawmakers supporting the legislation now represent Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Texas, Colorado and New Jersey.
The Lawful Hemp Protection Act would establish a federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumer products while replacing broad restrictions scheduled to take effect later this year. The proposal would create separate categories for industrial hemp and consumable hemp products and establish a 1% total THC dry-weight limit.
The measure would also prohibit synthetic cannabinoids in finished products, restrict consumable hemp-derived cannabinoid products to those 21 and older, establish packaging and labeling requirements and require consumable hemp products to be cultivated, processed and packaged in the United States. It would direct the Food and Drug Administration to establish cannabinoid limits for finished products and create federal taxes on hemp-derived THC products.
Under current federal law, a new hemp definition is scheduled to take effect November 12 that would establish a 0.4-milligram total THC limit per container and remove many currently legal hemp-derived products from the federal definition of hemp. The Senate has approved legislation that would delay most of those restrictions until December 11, but the House has not yet approved the Senate changes.
H.R. 9830 has been referred to the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees.
