That's right, hemp doesn't compete with them directly. It's just the CBD that will, and more specifically, any potentially isolatable compound contained in it that they could possibly prove capable of success through clinical trials.

Trust me, that cat's been out of the bag for awhile now. The first collective efforts by those at the frontlines of CBD production and marketing, very early in the game, identified big pharma efforts to run interference.

The hemp plant itself isn't their concern and they can't stop that anyhow. The federal courts will rule CBD fully legal soon, providing it's THC free. Hemp derived is THC free.