Please Cosponsor the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, H.R. 983

I am writing to respectfully urge you to cosponsor H.R. 9830, the bipartisan Lawful Hemp Protection Act, introduced by Congressman Andy Barr and Congresswoman Angie Craig. This legislation addresses many of the concerns lawmakers, regulators, law enforcement officials, and public health advocates have raised about the hemp marketplace. Rather than maintaining the status quo or imposing an outright ban, the Lawful Hemp Protection Act establishes a comprehensive federal regulatory framework with enforceable standards designed to protect consumers and promote accountability throughout the industry. The bill would require age restrictions and age verification, establish federal labeling and packaging requirements, strengthen oversight of hemp-derived consumable products, address impaired driving concerns, restrict synthetic and artificially modified cannabinoids, enhance supply chain accountability through domestic sourcing requirements, create federal oversight for hemp-derived beverages, and preserve the ability of states to enact more stringent regulations if they choose. Most importantly, this legislation recognizes that the answer to legitimate concerns about consumer safety, youth access, product standards, and enforcement is responsible regulation, not the federal hemp ban scheduled to take effect this November. That ban would effectively eliminate approximately 95% of the current hemp marketplace, disrupting American farmers, manufacturers, retailers, and small businesses while limiting consumer access to lawful products. At the same time, it would fail to create the regulatory structure needed to address the issues Congress has identified. The Lawful Hemp Protection Act offers a better path forward. It establishes clear federal rules, strong consumer protections, meaningful oversight, and a framework for enforcement. It provides Congress with an opportunity to address concerns about the hemp marketplace while preserving lawful commerce, supporting American agriculture, and protecting jobs across the supply chain. I respectfully urge you to cosponsor the Lawful Hemp Protection Act (H.R. 9830) and support a practical, science-based federal solution that protects consumers, addresses stakeholder concerns, and provides long-term regulatory certainty for the hemp industry.