Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

Published on Wed Dec 11, 2019 - 3 min read

Published by: Bryan Bradford

At long last, it has finally happened. The United States government has legalized hemp; a form of the cannabis plant from which we derive CBD oil. Last month Trump signed the H.R.2 – Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is broad reaching and aims to regulate all aspects of US agricultural production from food stamps, to crop insurance, but of particular interest to the health food industry is it legalized hemp and decriminalized THC derived from hemp¹.

The cannabis plant is grown in many different varieties, with varying levels of the psychoactive chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and the non-psychoactive chemical CBD (cannabidiol). Traditionally, marijuana contains high levels of THC and low CBD which we do not want, and hemp contains high CBD and low THC which we do want. The Farm Bill recognizes this and removed hemp from the definition of marijuana, which remains illegal, and redefined it as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. having no more than .3% THC by dry weight”.  A THC level so low it is impossible to get you high and has zero potential for abuse.

What does this mean for consumers?

A lot. With the decriminalization of THC in hemp, the new Farm Bill lifts the veil and removes the fuzzy legality that the CBD industry has been operating under since the previous Farm Bill. With these federal barriers removed brace yourself for an incoming tidal wave of new CBD products such as CBD-infused drinks, foods, and even cosmetics. Also look for a massive uptick in varieties of existing CBD products and new companies to promote them. With the CBD industry expected to grow ten times larger in 2019, this will indeed be the year of CBD innovation.

While the outlook is extremely positive, as a consumer, it is more important than ever to buy CBD only from reputable manufacturers and stores. Most CBD companies want to deliver high-quality products some do not always have that level of integrity. The Sunflower Shoppe is committed to only offering the best CBD products from the best manufacturers in the industry. Here are some of the ways which the Sunflower Shoppe identifies the very best CBD oils:

1. Good manufacturing practices: Because the CBD industry is so young there are currently no regulations that control manufacturing processes leaving much room for error in purity and quality with less scrupulous companies. Cheap CBD oil is extracted with toxic solvents like butane, hexane, and propane. We look for products extracted with natural ethanol or CO₂ (carbon dioxide) extraction. These methods are safe and widely used by the best herbal supplement companies.
2. Proper sourcing: Hemp is a bioaccumulator, meaning it strongly absorbs many minerals and any other substances present in the soil. While this helps hemp become super nutritious, it also means hemp grown in polluted soils can accumulate toxic heavy metals². We look for hemp that is USA grown as US farmers are required to get certified by state departments of agriculture which have rules on soil quality.
3. Full spectrum extracts: Synthetic CBD isolates are becoming popular because they are cheaper, but these isolates leave out several beneficial compounds naturally present in hemp. Hemp contains over 120 active phytonutrients that work synergistically with CBD to significantly potentiate its healthful benefits³. We look for only full spectrum, non-synthetic, CBD oils.
4. Third-party lab results: Third party CoAs (Certificates of Analysis) are the gold standard in the supplement industry to ensure high quality and purity. Third party labs certify that a CBD oil has high levels of CBD, low/no levels of THC, and no harmful impurities. We only sell CBD from companies that can supply valid third-party CoAs. If a company cannot readily provide a CoA, they are not reputable.

The Sunflower Shoppe prides itself in having these rigorous sets of standards for every CBD product we sell. These standards are the toughest in the industry and are meant to ensure the highest safety and efficacy for our customers. Please stop by the Shoppe and check out the CBD health revolution for yourself.

[References]

1. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669003001110
3. https://books.google.com/books?id=qH-2Lj9x7L4C&pg=PP28#