By Brian Henry

To California Rep. Salud Carbajal and his constituents, guidelines on hemp have never more important since the passage of the 2018 farm bill.

“I think that it's an industry that wants certainty and certainly anything that helps our local economies in the states that are concerned is of the utmost importance," the Democratic congressman told Cheddar Friday.

"Certainty for farmers and consumers alike is extremely important if we are going to continue to prosper our local economies.”

That sense of urgency among Carbajal's constituents ー and a string of crackdowns in states like Maine and Ohio prohibiting sales of CBD-infused edibles ー inspired him to sign a letter along with 11 lawmakers addressed to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb requesting "guidance on lawful pathways for food products containing hemp-derived cannabidiol.”

“There seems to be a lot of confusion about what food CBD products are, how they can be put together, and enforcement about CBD products' legality,” Carbajal said. “I think it's really important we get clarification.”

The bipartisan members of Congress requested a response by Feb. 22, and as of Friday afternoon, had yet to receive a reply.

“I am informed that to date we have not received the response we have requested," Carbajal said.

Despite the FDA's silence, Carbajal is optimistic that politicians across the aisle will continue to collaborate on the issue.

“I think we have seen a bipartisan effort, not only on CBD, but on cannabis issues as well. I think there’s a big interest in examining what states are doing throughout our country and making sure that the federal government continues to be a partner in helping to bring about solutions to helping these industries and those states that have legalized medical marijuana.”

For full interview click here.