Earlier today, I was proud to testify in front of the Senate Agriculture and Revenue Committee on my bipartisan legislation that would help save the hemp industry in Wisconsin.

Before hemp was basically banned across the country by the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, Wisconsin was the national leader in the cultivation of the versatile plant. Hemp can be used to make such products as cosmetics, personal care items, dietary supplements, cloth cordage, fiber, fuel, clothing, paint and paper.

In 2018, U.S. Congress members passed the Farm Bill, which redefined hemp, removed it from the federal Controlled Substances Act and created a regulatory structure within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The legislation also expanded the manner in which states and tribes may authorize and regulate hemp production.

Additionally, the bill transitioned hemp from a research-based product to an agricultural commodity under federal law. This, however, generated an opening that allowed for the modification of hemp into intoxicating THC variants.

In a national landscape where half of the states prohibit the purchase of cannabis, the market is being filled with what is now a multi-billion-dollar industry for hemp-derived cannabinoid (HDC) products. Despite their wide accessibility, the regulation of HDC items is essentially non-existent, leaving a patchwork of different approaches taken by states around the country.

Presently in Wisconsin, HDCs are generally recognized as legal, but there are no oversight mechanisms available. We do not have any state laws on the books that ban the sale to minors, regulate the potency or contents of HDCs or establish labeling and packaging specifications.

Regulations are needed in our state to improve public safety, eliminate the current uncertainty regarding the status of HDCs and provide stability for businesses looking to enter this segment of the economy.

That is why Senate Bill 682, which I authored with Representative Tony Kurtz, would enact age restrictions, truth-in-labeling guidelines, independent testing requirements and beverage potency limits. Without these safeguards in place, recent federal actions would likely wipe out the hemp industry in Wisconsin.