Federal Bill Would Reshape Hemp Products on Local Shelves
A federal bill introduced this week would place hemp-derived products—CBD gummies, tinctures, and more—under FDA oversight for the first time. For Larimer and Weld County consumers, that means major changes: stricter potency limits, mandatory testing, and high-potency items disappearing from store shelves.
Charlotte's Web, a Louisville-based manufacturer, makes CBD tinctures, gummies, and pet products sold nationwide. The company commended Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA) in a statement released January 23, saying the bill recognizes "the voices of consumers whose lives depend on safe, lawful access to hemp-derived products."
Representative Griffith introduced the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization, and Protection (HEMP) Act on January 22.
The bill would create a new chapter in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for "cannabinoid hemp products." It would establish standards for oral, inhalable, and topical products, plus manufacturing and testing requirements. Key details—minimum age of sale, lab standards, and potency caps for various cannabinoids—are left to future FDA rulemaking.
The bill covers a broad array of cannabinoids—CBD, delta-8, delta-9 THC, and others—as well as synthetics like hexahydrocannabinol (HHC). Many high-potency products sold in convenience shops use delta-8 or HHC. These would likely face limits or reclassification under the new rules.
According to sponsor materials, the FDA would have up to three years to set CBD milligram limits. If no rule is finalized within that timeframe, federal law would default to 5 mg per serving and 30 mg per package for CBD products. Those limits could force reformulation or removal of many high-potency hemp products now on local shelves.
"Representative Griffith has demonstrated real leadership by understanding that smart policy must protect consumers without cutting off access to products that are essential to their daily lives," said Bill Morachnick, CEO of Charlotte's Web. "This is not an abstract policy debate—these decisions directly impact families and consumers who depend on hemp-derived products for health, stability, and quality of life."
The bill covers hemp-derived products but excludes state-legal cannabis. Charlotte's Web said the legislation targets unsafe and illicit products while preserving compliant hemp-derived cannabinoids that have been lawfully sold for years.
The company uses third-party testing to verify product quality across its nationwide distribution, a standard likely required under the new federal framework. But details on lab certification and testing protocols remain to be set by the FDA, leaving local retailers and manufacturers uncertain about compliance timelines.