Hoping to create a legal pathway for regulation of cannabidiol (CBD) products, Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Congresswoman Angie Craig (D-MN) have reintroduced two pieces of legislation that had previously stalled in Congress.

The Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2023 would make hemp, CBD derived from hemp, and other hemp-derived products lawful for use in dietary supplements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

The CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act would direct the FDA to regulate CBD as the agency would for other food ingredients, setting requirements for quality and labeling, among other areas.

The bills follow FDA’s recent announcement in which it asked Congress to work with the agency to develop a “new regulatory framework” for CBD.

Griffith, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has been on this road before, previously introducing identical legislation in 2020 and 2021 with co-sponsor Kurt Schrader (D-OR), a so-called “Blue Dog” Democrat who lost his party’s renomination bid in 2022.

“The Food and Drug Administration has dragged its feet in properly regulating CBD and hemp-derived products on the market, creating confusion about its legal uses,” Griffith said in a press release. “Americans need better guidance and that is why I have introduced these two pieces of legislation, which will create a pathway for regulation in both the food and dietary supplement spaces.”

Craig also serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, along with the House Agriculture Committee and Small Business Committee.

“In Minnesota we’ve seen firsthand that our local governments and small businesses need more guidance when it comes to CBD and hemp-derived products,” Craig said in the press release announcing the introduction. “That’s why I’ve partnered with Rep. Griffith on these bipartisan bills to better regulate CBD products, keep consumers safe and ensure our hemp farmers and businesses have the support they need.”

These bills were endorsed by the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, the American Herbal Products Association, Council for Responsible Nutrition, National Cannabis Industry Association, Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, Spartan Sword, Association of Western Hemp Professionals, and Alliance for Natural Health USA.

“The FDA has made it clear that legislative action by Congress is needed to solve its CBD regulatory problem and these two bi-partisan bills re-introduced by Reps. Griffith and Craig serve as the solution,” said Jonathan Miller, U.S. Hemp Roundtable general counsel in a statement. “The FDA’s inaction over the past four years has had a devastating impact on U.S. hemp growers and has left thousands of unregulated products on the marketplace, raising health and safety concerns for consumers. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable is grateful to Rep. Griffith for his steadfast leadership on behalf of the hemp industry, and we are proud to work closely with him, Rep. Craig and other original co-sponsors on this critical legislation that is integral for hemp farmers, CBD producers and consumers.”