2018 Farm Bill

In 2014, the Agricultural Act – otherwise known as the U.S. Farm Bill – was amended and passed into law with a provision called, “Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research.” In this provision, the federal government officially distinguished the difference between hemp, the part of the plant with little to no tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, and marijuana, the part of the plant with large amounts of THC that produces a psychoactive effect, or “high,” when ingested. This bill lifted the restrictions placed on states in which hemp was legalized on a local level. In addition, a number of research programs and pilot agricultural initiatives were put in place to study the cultivation benefits of hemp. The bill further states that hemp must be destroyed unless it contains traces of THC that are 0.3 percent or lower on a dry weight basis.

Earlier this month, the 2018 Farm Bill was passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, thus repealing and updating the 2014 provisions. In this amendment, the United States federal government extended the leniency and legalization on the once disputed hemp plant. This is a huge step forward for the hemp market and the future of consumer products and medicine in the U.S. Now, hemp farmers will gain access to insurance, banking rights, and even public water—all of which they were previously restricted from due to federal regulations.

Hemp Farming

Hemp will now be treated just like any other crop in the United States, bringing about a slew of possibilities for the future of the hemp and CBD industry. For one thing, hemp has a massive variety of potential uses including textiles such as clothes, shoes, bags, socks, carpeting, canvas, industrial products, ethanol and biofuel, paper products, building material, foods, soap, shampoo, cosmetics, solvents, ink, and more. Not only does it offer a wide range of uses, it’s a far better alternative for the planet and is easier, cheaper, and faster to grow than many other crops. Due to the profitability of this industry, the legalization of hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill will likely have great economic benefits for everyone involved.

The future of CBD, on the other hand, is harder to predict. CBD consumption has grown tremendously over the past decade and is commonly used in food, drinks, lotions, salves, creams, pills, and oils to help alleviate pain, reduce inflammation in the body, and even plays a role in fighting cancer.

Even though the 2018 Farm Bill makes it legal to produce, sell, and possess CBD, the restrictions from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration make things more complicated. Since it falls into a gray area, being derived from both the hemp and marijuana plants and is difficult to distinguish, the FDA still technically considers it a drug. However, due to the massive positive medicinal value of CBD helps and certain diseases—such as Epidiolex, a newly cleared CBD help for epilepsy—the future of CBD looks promising. As long as farmers can ensure that the THC content remains within federal standards, hemp derived CBD will continue to grow in prosperity throughout the United States.

Hemp Farming Act

The one thing that current hemp growers are worried about revolves around the language included in the provision. According to the bill, those who are interested in growing hemp will need to forgo a background check and pass a number of obstacles previously not in place and that aren’t applied to other farming industries. Specifically, it precludes anyone who has any drug-related felony convictions—including those related to cultivating hemp in the past. What this means is that those with the experience in growing hemp and extracting THC within the legal limits may be excluded from the ability to legally produce hemp in the future. Current farmers express hope for grandfathered clauses, but still worry about their future in the business. For others, the legalization of hemp brings about an opportunity to raise income and help with the current struggles that farmers are facing.

While we can speculate what the effects on the hemp and CBD industry will look like in the future, only time will tell.

Is CBD Oil legal in Arizona? Yes, CBD oil is legal in Arizona. CBD oil, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid (meaning it does not get you high) derived from specific low-THC, high-CBD strains of cannabis, has been legal in Arizona since a ruling affirming its medicinal helps for epilepsy in 2014.

– Veterans CBD

“The information on this page is not meant to imply that Veterans CBD can confirm the therapeutic or medicinal value of CBD oil. Its efficiency has not been confirmed and approved by FDA. Thus, the information is not to be used in place of a healthcare practitioner’s advice. Additionally, we do not recommend dosages for specific ailments. Individuals must determine the correct dosages with the help of the dosing calculator available on the website.

~ Veterans CBD

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