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Industry assns greeted new fed hemp bill, intro’d yesterday by Reps Barr and Craig, with expectedly wide range of responses. While strongest alc bev industry ally, WSWA, cheered the effort, more skeptical supplier orgs like Beer Inst and DISCUS stuck to their guns, unconvinced by the proposal’s attempts at wrangling what some still view as “dangerous” products or biz practices. Orgs with members on either side of the issue threaded the needle once more, with the Brewers Assn “pleased” with direction bill takes, if not perhaps all of the details. NBWA reiterated its top priorities and thanked legislative sponsors, who clearly took wholesaler perspectives seriously in drafting a bill that includes support for 3-tier system and state autonomy, at least. As currently written, those rules apply solely to hemp bevs, recall, leaving plenty of open questions about other forms of intoxicating hemp products. And on balance, no one in alc bev biz appears to be straying too far from where they’ve been. In short: this bill doesn’t appear to be enough to turn opponents in the alc bev biz into supporters. As DISCUS reminds in its statement: full legislative process of committee hearings and amendments are likely necessary to get more folks on board.And there’s the rub. There just ain’t time. With countdown clock speeding toward Nov 12, fed legislators headed out on summer recess and election season between the two, there’s precious little time left. Instead, bill could be used to leverage support for an extension of timeline by a yr or more, an outcome that industry opponents wish to avoid. And no telling where White House will land, as it remains focused on key issue of allowing “full spectrum CBD” for use within Medicare/Medicaid pilot program.BI: “Dangerous Status Quo” a No Go After pointing to way “Congress overwhelmingly voted to close” what BI and others view as a legislative “loophole” that “enabled unfettered access to dangerous intoxicating THC products,” the org reminded that hemp advocates have mostly “pushed to reverse the actions of the President and Congress and preserve the dangerous status quo: special treatment with no regulation, no taxes and no oversight,” prexy/ceo Brian Crawford commented. Those efforts have been unsuccessful, Brian noted before highlighting “the U.S. beer industry’s commitment to responsible adult consumption of our products through the three-tier system, our robust advertising and marketing standards, and strict regulations on how beer is manufactured and sold.”NBWA: “Same or Higher Standards” Necessary Without taking a stance one way or another, NBWA reminded that it “has consistently said, if hemp-derived THC beverages are sold in the marketplace, they should be subject to at least the same or higher standards and regulations as those that govern the alcohol industry to ensure a responsible marketplace and protect consumers,” a spokesperson shared. “NBWA will continue to work to advance our members' interests based on sound public policy,” org continued, adding a word of appreciation for “the leadership of Representatives Andy Barr and Angie Craig on this issue.”BA: “Pleased” with “Direction” Toward “Level Playing Field” Like other alc bev trade orgs, the Brewers Assn has repeatedly argued for its belief “that any future for intoxicating cannabis or hemp-derived products must exist within a regulatory and tax environment that creates a level playing field with beverage alcohol,” prexy/ceo Bart Watson shared with INSIGHTS. That’s been core of org’s thinking on the issue right along, he reminded. So BA is “pleased to see that” the Barr/Craig bill “moves in that direction.” With plenty of members already making these products, the org will stay engaged, “educating lawmakers on clear and transparent regulatory structures that can protect the public and offer a responsible pathway for commerce.”WSWA: Big Step “Toward Clear, Enforceable Rules” Tracking the org’s consistent support for an alcohol-like system for hemp bevs, WSWA supported how the bill “moves the marketplace away from uncertainty and toward clear, enforceable rules,” org wrote. Bill’s effort to apply 3-tier system to hemp bevs is “an important step,” org’s fed affairs exec veep Dawson Hobbs commented, commending “the bill’s distinct treatment of hemp beverages” and seeking to establish “federal licensing, labeling standards, mandatory age verification, independent testing, excise taxation, and state regulatory authority similar to beverage alcohol” as a means to “protect consumers and communities.”DISCUS: First Step “Falls Short” Echoing BI’s language about last fall’s closure of the hemp “loophole,” DISCUS also insisted that “any effort to regulate intoxicating hemp at the federal level must be supported by a well-defined regulatory framework and tax structure.” The proper way to stand up such a framework is thru “full consideration by the multiple relevant committees of jurisdiction, including hearings, amendments and markups, before advancing to the floor,” org continued. So this bill is just “an initial attempt to address public health concerns and market abuses” that “falls short of establishing the safeguards necessary,” in its view.

Industry Orgs Standing Firm in Familiar Stances on Hemp in Response to New Legislative Proposal

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