California Senate Scuttles Bill Seeking to Restric

California Senate Scuttles Bill Seeking to Restrict Hemp Intoxicants

Products derived from hemp and synthetic cannabinoids have proliferated in markets across the country, with states such as South Dakota, Iowa and Louisiana moving to ban them. In California, however, players in the industry are championing for a different approach.

Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, suggested a regulation path that involved stricter manufacturing and labeling practices. Miller added that there was also a need to keep these products away from children. This comes as the California Senate rejected a legislation this week that would impose strict regulations on intoxicating cannabinoids derived from hemp.

This decision by the Senate Appropriations Committee comes after the U.S. Hemp Roundtable issued a statement noting that the legislation represented an alliance between major cannabis companies focused on destroying the hemp industry and regulators. These supporters of the hemp industry also ran a campaign imploring people to contact their legislators and ask them to reject the legislation.

The U.S Hemp Roundtable claims that it sent out thousands of emails calling attention to the damage the legislation could cause if approved. Consequently, the Senate made the decision not to advance the legislation.

So, what was in the measure anyway?

The measure in question, AB 2223, was introduced by Assembly Member Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. Its objective was to change marijuana laws in the state of California by integrating marijuana and hemp products. The measure would have also imposed harsher rules on synthetic cannabinoids.

In its argument, the U.S. Hemp Roundtable explained that the measure’s limits on the content of THC could ban the majority of hemp products from being sold. This, the group noted, including CBD products used for medical treatment by many patients.

In a recent email to Benzinga Cannabis, Jonathan Black of Cheech & Chong’s Global Holding Company, stated that the legislature’s decision to not advance AB 2223 underlined its commitment to policymaking that prioritized the safety of consumers.

Squared director of sales, Ted Whitney, agreed with Black. In a statement, he argued that the decision to reject AB 2223 marked a crucial moment for the future of marijuana in California and beyond.

Now that the measure’s progression this year is halted, discussions on the regulation of hemp in the state are expected to continue. Players in the industry are focused on crafting measures that not only support the continued growth of this nascent market but also protect consumers, with the support of the governor’s office and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry.

Companies that are major players in both the marijuana space and the hemp-derived cannabinoids segment, such as Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ), are likely to follow these developments in California since they could be a harbinger of what could happen in other states and jurisdictions.

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

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