The hemp industry, along with nearly every other sector in the global economy, eagerly awaits a settled presidential race.  All eyes in hemp are on the ostensible victors, Biden and Harris, and speculation is rampant as to what this means for cannabis.  From a policy perspective, the two campaigned on a decriminalization platform, which wouldn’t necessarily translate into progress for hemp stakeholders, or help to buoy hemp prices.  The appointment of a new cabinet and agency heads, however, is fertile ground for regulatory changes in hemp. 

The FDA has avoided politics, or at least has tried to, and has carefully projected an image of impartial, science-based policy making.  The agency is the sole arbiter balancing the needs of industry and markets, and consumer safety.  In the 1960’s, the drug thalidomide was prescribed to thousands of European women suffering from…