Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 2/27/19

There's plenty of excitement around the farm bill's legalization of hemp — and with implementation gearing up, regulators in Washington have one heck of a to-do list at hand to give farmers, state officials and investors clarity on how it's all going to work.

A pair of meetings on Tuesday illustrated just how many questions remain. During a USDA listening session on implementation of the 2018 law, H.R. 2 (115), hemp was the issue du jour.

Industry reps pushed agency officials to churn out federal guidance so state legislatures currently in session could craft their own hemp rules this year. Over at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture policy conference, state officials zeroed in on how their hemp growers want to produce CBD but need regulatory certainty from FDA.

On the list for USDA: Hemp lawyers and other stakeholders wanted to know who will be tasked with verifying licenses for industrial production and whether the plant can be insured under the Whole-Farm Revenue Protection program, which covers all commodities on a farm under one policy.

— They also want clarity on organic certification, interstate transport and access to financial services, your host reports.
FDA suggests Congress should take a look at CBD: Gottlieb on Tuesday suggested the agency is interested in talking to Congress about "alternative approaches" to oversee CBD. While FDA has said it's looking at rulemaking, the process is generally a lengthy one, so legislation could potentially simplify the pathway to market.

In legal limbo: It's currently illegal for companies to sell food containing added CBD or the psychoactive compound THC across state lines, or market CBD or THC-containing products as dietary supplements, because both are ingredients in FDA-approved drugs. That means the agency needs to issue a rule for CBD products to be legally marketed.

Lotsa buzz: "This is one of the top issues I'm being asked during my visits on Capitol Hill," Gottlieb told reporters.