USDA Beefs Up Trade Committee to Promote US Hemp Internationally
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have appointed a new individual to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts and Hemp. Prior to its name change in 2023, the committee’s name didn’t include hemp. The first individuals appointed to represent the hemp industry to this committee served on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts.
USTR representative Katherine Tai and secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack made the announcement of the new appointment last week, revealing that the VP of Government Affairs for Lazarus Naturals, Dylan Summers, would be joining the trade advisory committee.
Lazarus Naturals is a company engaged in the supply of high-quality CBD products including gummies and oils. Summers is among the four hemp industry executives on the committee, which is comprised of 14 members. Other members involved in this space include Eric Pike of Oregon Hemp Commission; Patricia Sheikh, a board member of the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC); and Patrick Atagi, president of the NIHC.
The committee is focused on supporting efforts to promote domestically grown cannabis globally. It is one of six advisory committees under USTR and the Agriculture Department that offer technical advice to the government on certain agricultural products and commodities.
As a newly appointed member, Summers will act as a hemp representative until 2028.
In an advisory, the agriculture department stated that the advisory committee system was established by Congress to make sure that agricultural stakeholders in America had insight and input into the country’s negotiating objectives and trade policy. Summers’ appointment comes just a month after the Department of Agriculture allocated $745,000 to the National Industrial Hemp Council to back efforts promoting the industry in emerging markets, globally. In 2020, the department also awarded the council $200,000 as part of a separate grant program.
The recent grant is helping the hemp market rebound after facing huge losses in 2022. However, uncertainties on the banning of consumable cannabinoid products through measures advanced by congressional legislators isn’t helping.
Parties that wish to apply for committee membership are encouraged to do so at any time and may be considered for future appointments.
In other news, a farm bill that was approved by the House Agriculture Committee earlier this year also contains provisions that would decrease regulatory barriers for hemp cultivators and curtail a ban that prevents individuals with previous drug felony convictions from participating in the industry.
For companies that aim to produce pharmaceutical-grade CBD and other cannabinoids, such as Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ), the expanded trade committee could help in spreading awareness about their products to a much larger audience and open ground for possible business opportunities.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/SFWJ
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the HempWire website applicable to all content provided by HW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.HempWire.com/Disclaimer
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have appointed a new individual to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts and Hemp. Prior to its name change in 2023, the committee’s name didn’t include hemp. The first individuals appointed to represent the hemp industry to this committee served on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts.
USTR representative Katherine Tai and secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack made the announcement of the new appointment last week, revealing that the VP of Government Affairs for Lazarus Naturals, Dylan Summers, would be joining the trade advisory committee.
Lazarus Naturals is a company engaged in the supply of high-quality CBD products including gummies and oils. Summers is among the four hemp industry executives on the committee, which is comprised of 14 members. Other members involved in this space include Eric Pike of Oregon Hemp Commission; Patricia Sheikh, a board member of the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC); and Patrick Atagi, president of the NIHC.
The committee is focused on supporting efforts to promote domestically grown cannabis globally. It is one of six advisory committees under USTR and the Agriculture Department that offer technical advice to the government on certain agricultural products and commodities.
As a newly appointed member, Summers will act as a hemp representative until 2028.
In an advisory, the agriculture department stated that the advisory committee system was established by Congress to make sure that agricultural stakeholders in America had insight and input into the country’s negotiating objectives and trade policy. Summers’ appointment comes just a month after the Department of Agriculture allocated $745,000 to the National Industrial Hemp Council to back efforts promoting the industry in emerging markets, globally. In 2020, the department also awarded the council $200,000 as part of a separate grant program.
The recent grant is helping the hemp market rebound after facing huge losses in 2022. However, uncertainties on the banning of consumable cannabinoid products through measures advanced by congressional legislators isn’t helping.
Parties that wish to apply for committee membership are encouraged to do so at any time and may be considered for future appointments.
In other news, a farm bill that was approved by the House Agriculture Committee earlier this year also contains provisions that would decrease regulatory barriers for hemp cultivators and curtail a ban that prevents individuals with previous drug felony convictions from participating in the industry.
For companies that aim to produce pharmaceutical-grade CBD and other cannabinoids, such as Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ), the expanded trade committee could help in spreading awareness about their products to a much larger audience and open ground for possible business opportunities.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/SFWJ
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the HempWire website applicable to all content provided by HW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.HempWire.com/Disclaimer
