The 2018 Farm Bill

Every five years, the US refreshes their Farm Bill which legislates almost-every farm and nutrition program. In December, the monumental step to legalise the cultivation of Hemp was announced in it. But how did we get here and what does this mean?

Dating back to the early 1800s, sale or possession of Cannabis in the US was completely legal. The fibres from Hemp were used to make clothes, paper, rope and more. It wasn’t rare to hear of medicinal Cannabis but, wasn’t too widespread for recreational usage.

In 1937, the US Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act which outlawed the possession of Cannabis – which obviously includes Hemp. Despite this law being repealed in the later years of the 1960s, Cannabis was added to the list of Schedule 1 drugs in the Controlled Substances Act. This means it was deemed one of the most dangerous drugs and is classed in the same family as Heroin, according to lawmakers.

81 long years later, the Farm Bill was passed and is a giant leap away from the precedented and unjust ruling of Cannabis as unhealthy and entirely unlawful. The 2018 Farm Bill legally allows Hemp to be used for commercial purposes and removes it from the Controlled Substances Act, differentiating it from Marijuana which is illegal due to its psychoactive properties.

The Bill also expands on the provisions set in the Hemp Pilot Programs first established in the 2014 version of it. The Hemp Pilot Programs allows states to cultivate Hemp for research without a permit needed from the Drug Enforcement Administration. This move created a wave of excitement for entrepreneurs, CBD-fanatics and famers alike.

Aiding the business world, this Bill opens opportunities for financing, legalises inter-state Hemp commerce and allows Hemp to be regulated by the USDA.

Elizabeth Hogan, Vice President of Brands at GCH Inc, said they were “so pleased farmers across America now have the freedom to consider integrating [Hemp] into their production…”. Farmers are fond of growing Hemp as it requires little water, compared to that of cotton, corn and more. It also can still grow on poor soil and blooms tightly-packed together to crowd out the weeds.

Politically speaking, this introduction of a new-and-improved Farm Bill gives America a chance to compete with China and its massive influence in the Cannabis industry.

The legalisation of Hemp has led to the projection that the CBD industry will be worth an estimated $1 billion by the year 2020. It also creates more partnerships for those in the US to make bonds with other countries and stock their Hemp-based products, such as CBD. For example, without this Bill – we wouldn’t be able to bring you our range of CBD products.

All-in-all, the 2018 Farm Bill now grants tribes, states and territories to create their own regulations that will let farmer and ranchers to produce a high-value cash crop whilst still being benefitted from the federal farm program benefits.