This week, lawmakers have once again placed a five-year farm bill reauthorization package on hold and have agreed to a one-year extension in the final days of the current Congress. Congressional leaders released a 1,547 page spending bill that aims to keep the federal government funded through March 14 to avoid partial shutdown.
The extension is to maintain funds for popular programs used by farmers and rural communities. With this extension, there are no changes to how hemp or cannabinoids, like delta-8 or delta-9 THC, are defined and regulated. Those anticipated changes hinge on the specifics of a five-year reauthorization.
For background, the 2018 Farm Bill was initially up for reauthorization in 2023 before being extended to 2024. And now it’s being extended again, leaving a continued uncertainty for farmers of all commodities, including hemp.
Savchenko stated, “This is big for the hemp industry because if the farm bill was going to be revisited this year, then there was a potential that novel cannabinoids, including THCA and others would be banned. Now the hemp industry can continue to produce and distribute these types of products allowing for more variety of products for customers.”
About Paula Savchenko, Esq., founding partner of Cannacore Group and PS Law Group
Paula Savchenko, Esq., is an attorney and consultant working primarily in the cannabis industry on a multi-state level. More specifically, most of her work involves competitive licensing and regulatory compliance in the cannabis industry. Savchenko’s success in attaining competitive licenses for her clients comes from having in-depth knowledge of what regulators are looking for, as well as a strong network of contacts in the cannabis industry. She has worked on competitive applications for marijuana businesses in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, Texas and West Virginia. Her overall success rate is approximately 85% in attaining marijuana business licenses. Savchenko also speaks and writes regularly on the legal aspects of the cannabis industry.
