NIHC STATEMENT ON THE ELECTION OF DONALD J. TRUMP
NIHC Statement on the Election of Donald J. Trump
Washington, D.C. Nov. 6, 2024– National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC) President and CEO, Patrick Atagi, released the following statement on the results of the 2024 election.
“NIHC congratulates President-elect Donald J. Trump on his historic victory and strong performance among hemp interests from farm to consumers.
“This election represents a renewed opportunity for all Americans to work together and to commit ourselves to the American dream – life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and prosperity. We have collaborated with President-elect Trump during his previous time in office to enact historic wins for the multi-billion-dollar hemp industry to drive increased investment in the sector, create jobs and provide for American farmers and manufacturers across the country. We stand ready to get to work to address the policies in the Farm Bill and agencies which will define the legacy of the Trump administration, including.
• Use all tools available to remove improper trade barriers against Agriculture and industrial hemp. The USDA should work closely with the Office of the United States Trade Representative to remove improper barriers imposed by other countries to block U.S. agricultural goods.
• Eliminate federal regulations and directives that hinder or stop the export of American hemp products to international markets. Initiate a tariff on Chinese hemp products that come into the United States.
• Support of “Fit for Purpose” program of oversight for hemp farmers so that they may farm hemp without undue government restrictions. Mandate accredited and certified laboratories to test hemp and hemp products to expand the number of laboratories that can test hemp and hemp products and accepted by the Federal government. (Currently only Drug Enforcement Agency labs are eligible.).
“The 2018 Farm Bill was ‘starter fluid’ that ignited the rockets for hemp to take-off in the United States. The legislation increased wages, helped hire Americans and make tremendous investments in our businesses and communities giving us the certainty we needed to kickstart the hemp renaissance we have seen in recent years. Efforts to gain a global footing, provide American farmers with another commodity, reduce technical barriers to trade and leverage private and public sector resources to bolster manufacturing projects helped make the US a force globally and provide needed resources for allies around the world.
“However, we are facing historic storms on our meteoric journey today. Sector optimism is at its lowest level in years. The cost of Federal regulatory burdens continues to increase and severely hinder the industry. From onerous FDA regulations to misunderstanding of hemp regulations, and aggressive agency overreach, the policies of today are keeping ingenuity, know-how and shovel ready farmers from doing what they do best, farm. We believe that we can build on the successes of our previous work together to roll back burdensome regulations, unleash American grit and drive the economy of the future with a strong strategy developed by farmers, manufacturers, and retailers to make American hemp work.
“Elections by their nature are divisive but their results should lead to unity. As we approach this country’s 250th anniversary, the time is now to work together, trust each other and support the ideals and laws outlined in our constitution—with a faith born not of words but of deeds that we see every day on farms, rural America and cities across our country.”
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