The two U.S. senators from Oregon who worked with Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) to pass the Hemp Farming Act have asked FDA to update regulations to allow for the use of hemp products, namely cannabidiol (CBD), in food, beverage and dietary supplement products.
In a letter to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said farmers in Oregon and the rest of the nation stand to make solid economic progress for their communities if FDA loosens the regulations on hemp and CBD.
“In recent years, the public has developed a widespread interest in the production and use of CBD, one of the primary non-psychoactive compounds in Cannabis sativa L.,” the senators, both Democrats, wrote in the letter. “We therefore request the FDA immediately begin updating regulations for hemp-derived CBD and other hemp-derived cannabinoids, and give U.S. producers more flexibility in the production, consumption and sale of hemp products.”