Navigating Hemp Vs. Cannabis Debate: One Agenda For All? US Cannabis Council’s David Culver Weighs In
As part of Benzinga’s special issue, we aim to help readers understand the ongoing national debate around this question: What should be done about the intoxicating hemp industry?
This issue has gained prominence as hemp-derived products, particularly intoxicating cannabinoids like Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC, challenge existing cannabis regulations.
The US Cannabis Council (USCC) is a leading organization in the push for federal cannabis legalization. Representing a broad coalition of cannabis businesses, the USCC advocates for a safe, equitable and regulated industry. As part of the organization, David Culver, the council’s senior vice president of public affairs, plays a crucial role in shaping public policy and industry strategies.
To delve into this matter, we spoke exclusively with Culver.
Culver’s insights into the hemp versus cannabis debate will no doubt help us better understand the future of an industry that has been growing steadily under the coverage of a legal grey area.
Let’s dive in.
The Hemp Industry vs.The Cannabis Industry
Hemp and cannabis are often confused, but they serve different purposes and markets. While cannabis is widely known for its psychoactive effects due to higher THC content, hemp has traditionally been used for non-intoxicating purposes such as producing textiles and creating CBD products. However, the emergence of intoxicating hemp-derived products has blurred these lines, creating a new industry with its own interests and dynamics.
For example, many California cannabis companies have been switching to hemp products due to the suffocating regulatory pressures and extra tax burden related to cannabis’s Schedule I classification. Additionally, major cannabis players like Curaleaf (OTC:CURLF), which is a member of the USCC, recently launched a hemp store. Other mayor cannabis companies are evaluating whether or not to do the same.
USCC On Hemp Regulation
“We’re talking about the same THC in these hemp-derived products as in medical and adult-use cannabis. It just makes sense to regulate them in a similar manner,” Culver said.
The USCC proposes to do this by making changes to the Farm Bill, which addresses the regulatory gap between hemp …