New Virginia Law Recognizes, Regulates Hemp Extract As Food

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed into law a bill recognizing hemp extract as food and regulating it as such. The bill authorizes the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services to adopt regulations establishing contaminant tolerances, labeling requirements, and batch testing requirements, and it provides that moneys collected under the chapter shall be deposited in the Virginia Industrial Hemp Fund, created by the bill.

The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry to report by November 1, 2020, a plan for the long-term sustainability of funding for the industrial hemp program.

The bill’s full text can be viewed here.

The Natural Products Association sent a letter to Gov. Northam, and NPA President and CEO Daniel Fabricant offered to meet with Gov. Northam to discuss CBD regulations and work with his administration to protect consumers.

“While we commend the state of Virginia for taking the initiative to regulate products, we are concerned that a patchwork of state laws could confuse consumers and fail to provide all of the necessary federal safeguards, including setting a safe level of daily consumption for CBD,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D. President and CEO of NPA. “Unfortunately, this is another example of the states filling a vacuum created by the federal government’s inaction. We have promised to work with policymakers in Virginia and across the country to make real progress on regulating the growing CBD marketplace.”