Hemp products with the potential to impair – such as Delta 8- and Delta 9-THC – have proliferated with no federal regulation in recent years, leading to growing concerns about quality, safety, and access by minors. Some have called for drastic action, including a letter from 22 state Attorneys General and a more recent statement from a cannabis trade group that calls for the federal criminalization of all hemp products, even those that are non-intoxicating like CBD. Such action would devastate the hemp industry, U.S. farmers, and small businesses that sell these products – not to mention deny millions of consumers access to popular health and wellness alternatives.
The hemp industry has advocated for a more reasonable approach – secure federal regulation to protect health and safety and ensure that products that potentially impair are kept out of the hands of children. The industry announced a new effort to assume more responsibility for these products in the continued absence of federal regulation.
The U.S. Hemp Authority (USHA) certification program - the industry's initiative to provide high standards, best practices, and self-regulation – announced a new leadership team and a new mission. For six years, USHA has provided consumers, retailers, policymakers, and law enforcement confidence in non-intoxicating hemp and CBD products. Dozens of hemp companies have been awarded the USHA certification seal, assuring that their products meet the program's rigorous, industry-refined standards and procedures, as confirmed through an independent review by a third-party auditing firm.
In recent years, the hemp extract marketplace has dramatically transformed, with a significant majority of hemp products being sold that can potentially impair consumers. Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC hemp products have become particularly prevalent, surging in popularity but also raising concerns about quality control in a federally unregulated market. Recent studies have shown that too many children are accessing these products due to a lack of controls and/or inappropriate marketing. Misguided policymakers have led efforts to ban these products, moving the industry back into the dark days of prohibition. Some states have stepped into the breach with reasonable regulation, but there appears no indication that there will be any federal action in the near future.
In order to reshape public policy around hemp and to build confidence among retailers and consumers alike, USHA announced its upcoming launch of an Adult Use Hemp Product Certification Program.
The current USHA certification standard for non-intoxicating products will provide the baseline requirements for USHA's new Adult Use seal – ensuring that products use good manufacturing practices, truth in labeling, and other measures that the FDA requires for dietary supplements and food and beverages. The Adult Use Hemp Product Certification Program will require additional compliance points to promote safety and ensure that products with the potential for impairment are kept out of the hands of children.
USHA will be developing detailed standards in the coming weeks and will once again ask all hemp stakeholders to weigh in for public comment. A new leadership team is in place to develop the first draft, led by new President Chris Fontes. Chris, the Founder and CEO of High Spirits Beverages, is a dynamic individual with a rich history of innovation and leadership in the cannabis industry and beyond. His entrepreneurial journey spans several successful ventures, including Trojan Horse Cannabis, Project Hemp Flower, and Hemp Exchange, all of which played pivotal roles in shaping the US hemp industry. Chris's visionary leadership led to the development of the industry's first hemp-derived D9 THC products and the launch of Trojan Horse Cannabis and High Spirits Beverages.
The USHA Board expresses its deepest gratitude to its outgoing President, Marielle Weintraub. "Marielle not only led the organization through its successful first six years; she provided extraordinary volunteer diligence in developing and refining the award-winning standard. Her critical leadership has laid the groundwork for a successful program."
For more information:
U.S. Hemp Authority 
www.ushempauthority.org