Expert Calls For A United Hemp And Cannabis Front, ‘Industries Should Collaborate’ And Push For Federal Rules
If you’ve been following Benzinga lately, you know there’s been plenty of action in what we call the Hemp vs. Cannabis national debate.
Recent collisions include Florida, where hemp companies are backing the anti-cannabis legalization stance of Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and Missouri, where a crackdown on unregulated hemp and cannabis products is on the rise.
The latest escalation occurred recently California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) proposed an emergency ban on a range of hemp-derived products.
The announcement sparked both surprise and frustration among industry members, including Cheech and Chong’s Global Holding Company, the US Hemp Roundtable.
Cornbread Hemp co-founder Jim Higdon wrote an Op-Ed published by Marijuana Moment in which he called for a unified front including the cannabis and hemp industries. Higdon criticized both Newsom and Florida hemp manufacturers, calling them plain “wrong.” Cornbread is a Kentucky-based company that produces full-spectrum hemp oils.
“I can’t speak to Gov. Newsom’s motives, but his ban on all hemp products goes way beyond his stated goal of eliminating youth access—a simple 21+ age mandate would do that,” Higdon told Benzinga in an email. He also addressed the motives behind …