The Farm Act of 2018 is a big deal. It is a landmark decision to give the hemp plant and the various derivatives, which include CBD hemp a way forward. It was very much anticipated and there was severe pressure on the government to pass the bill, and the delay is what caused hemp and CBD, in general, to be shrouded in the veil of stigma.
It was a drawn-out journey, as the hemp plant was considered a controlled substance, and fell in the same category as meth, heroin among others. One begins to think, how the US government could mess up this badly, but they seemed to have outdone themselves by including hemp in that category. They have reclaimed a sliver of competence by passing the Farm Act 2018, but the fact that it took so long is disappointing.
The answer as to why the Farm Act 2018 is a big deal is self-evident. We are here to be uncovering the tit-bits that you may have missed when glazing through the gigantic legislation.
What You May Have Missed About The Farm Act 2018
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It Isn’t Only About Hemp And Hemp Products
Although it was nicknamed as the ‘Hemp Act’ by many due to the relevance it has to legalizing hemp CBD, one needs to understand that it wasn’t only hemp and hemp businesses that had to benefit from the decision. The farm bill set aside subsidies for farmers with the aim of keeping American farmers in business, while keeping prices down. Food stamps, welfare programs, regulatory structures for many other goods and products that are processed and grown in the United States were all included in the Farm Act as well.
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Industrial Hemp And Marijuana Are Considered Separate Entities
This created an official demarcation between the two, which effectively meant that the door to progress was flung wide open. Industrial hemp is considered as the Cannabis sativa. A plant that has a THC concentration of no more than 0.3% by its dry weight.
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Industrial Hemp Is No Longer A Controlled Substance
Further strengthening the demarcation between marijuana and hemp is the removal of hemp from the list of controlled substances. This allowed for widespread investment and research into the potentials that hemp and its derivatives had in terms of it being used as a treatment option, food supplement, energy source and many others.
The passing of the Bill was a welcome change. We are looking at a very exciting time in the history of CBD, and rest assured the future does look very bright and promising.