Colorado Hemp Legislation May Do More Harm Than Good

On this week’s hemp podcast, Lancaster Farming talks with Hunter Buffington, a Colorado-based hemp policy expert with Agriculture Policy Solutions.

She shares her concerns about legislation in the Colorado House of Representatives that she says threatens the hemp industry nationwide.

SB23-271 attempts to address the the issue of intoxicating cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC, a synthetic compound derived from hemp with similar effects to marijuana.

Synthetic cannabionoids currently occupy a gray area in the national hemp market. Some states are outlawing them while others are regulating their use.

Buffington recently wrote an opinion piece on the hemp news website Let’s Talk Hemp entitled “Colorado Intoxicating Cannabinoid Legislation Threatens an Industry, Fails to Protect Patients and Endangers America’s Children.”

She said special interests groups have hijacked the bill by convincing lawmakers to add numerous amendments in the 11th hour.

“The marijuana industry group and a couple of large dispensaries were writing these amendments. We can see their influence,” Buffington said.

The interests of the marijuana industry differ from those of the hemp industry, even though both industries are built around the uses of the cannabis plant.

Buffington said the Colorado bill could also have negative effects on the fiber and grain sector of the hemp industry, with implications for hemp cosmetics and food.

“It's a slippery slope,” she said, “because we're opening up the door to now have to regulate THC content in these products.”

Agriculture Policy Solutions
http://www.agpolicysolutions.com/

Colorado Intoxicating Cannabinoid Legislation Threatens an Industry, Fails to Protect Patients and Endangers America’s Children
https://letstalkhemp.com/colorado-intoxicating-cannabinoid-legislation-threatens-an-industry-fails-to-protect-patients-and-endangers-americas-children/

SB23-271: Intoxicating Cannabinoid Hemp And Marijuana
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb23-271

Learn more about the issue on the Hemp Rising podcast with Josh Schneider
https://hemprising.buzzsprout.com/1951087/12791512

Contact the Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis
https://www.colorado.gov/governor/contact-us

New Nuggets

Jon Tester wanted to soften hemp regulations and turned to industry officials to help craft the bill
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/07/jon-tester-wanted-to-soften-hemp-regulations-00095634

You elected them to write new laws. They’re letting corporations do it instead.
https://publicintegrity.org/politics/state-politics/copy-paste-legislate/you-elected-them-to-write-new-laws-theyre-letting-corporations-do-it-instead/

‘Hemp Hotel’ Trails South Africa’s Green Credentials
https://www.africa.com/hemp-hotel-trails-south-africas-green-credentials/

European Hemp Leaders Launch Bid To Designate ‘Natural’ CBD A Traditional Food
https://businessofcannabis.com/european-hemp-leaders-launch-bid-to-designate-natural-cbd-a-traditional-food/

Colorado lawmakers say compromise reached on THC levels for CBD
https://hemptoday.net/colorado-lawmakers-say-compromise-reached-on-thc-levels-for-cbd/

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