One of the behind-the-scenes architects of the federal law legalizing hemp during President Donald Trump’s first term says it’s a misconception that Congress accidentally created a “loophole” allowing intoxicating cannabinoid products to be sold.
Rather, the controversy over the hemp THC marketplace that’s emerged is a direct consequence of inaction by lawmakers and regulators that could be resolved without outright banning such products, as certain GOP members have proposed, Steve Bevan said in a letter to key Republican committee leaders on Tuesday.
Bevan—who worked with then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to help draft the hemp language contained in the 2018 Farm Bill—said proponents of re-criminalizing intoxicating cannabinoid products “claim it’s about protecting children from dangerous products,” yet “simple age gating and responsible consumption resolve this.”
“Instead of focusing on citizens’ access to wellness and the positive economic benefits being realized from the national hemp experiment–it worked!–they bizarrely suggest a return to prohibition,” he said in the letter, which was shared exclusively with Marijuana Moment.
The message to congressional leaders is responsive to a separate letter sent by 39 state and territory attorneys general who urged legislators to enact restrictions on the consumable hemp market by banning intoxicating items.
This
Read full article on Marijuana Moment
