Senator Jon Tester Collaborates with Hemp Industry to Ease Regulations.

Industry insiders and hemp lobbyists were intimately involved in crafting the Industrial Hemp Act of 2023, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Jon Tester and Mike Braun that would exempt industrial hemp farmers from certain background checks, testing guidelines, and sampling rules. The hemp lobby has been hoping that lawmakers will use the 2023 farm bill to provide changes to boost the fledgling industry. The bill's process underscores how Congress often turns to self-interested outsiders for help understanding arcane issues and illustrates the blurry line between relying on industry expertise and letting those industry forces craft their own regulations.