On February 1, 2020, Cannabis Law appeared at the Hemp Today Asian Hemp Summit in Kathmandu Nepal. Sanford Stein, founder and principal of Cannabis Law LLC, spoke at the event’s first day on the topic of “Hemp Legislation and Regulations: Making it Legal; Making it Safe.” Stein, a legislative and government regulations specialist for over 40 years, was invited to discuss the process and procedures for building an educated consensus of stakeholders and advocates for hemp and cannabis in the seats of government.
Stein’s commentary included the fundamentals of legislation, goalsetting and consensus building, debunking the myths and emphasizing the benefits of legal, regulated cannabis. He advised his audience to confront common misconceptions of cannabis use and its effects and demonstrate that the use and benefits of cannabis in healthcare, agriculture and industry. The pros and cons of management is also something legislators need to consider; how many licenses, how big should growing centers be, and what qualifications should be the required for cultivators, processors and distributors to ensure safe, legal and well-regulated cannabis product. “Use a lobbyist” Stein urged, and “help inform government regulators on why a well regulated industry is a benefit. Educate by emphasizing the interest in a safe, legal, labelled, and managed supply chain. Try to get .3% THC as the current standard for industrial hemp, but push for 1% across the board” Stein said.
When it comes to regulations, “be vigilant and don’t let regulators put you out of business.” Again, Stein urges advocates to “use a lobbyist” to protect their interests during the often murky rule making process, and consider periodic legislative review in the form of amendments and reports from executive branch and oversight agencies.
The Asian Hemp Summit was inspirational according to Stein. People from all over the world expressed their interest in cultivating, processing and managing hemp products, well beyond CBD oils, into plastics, textiles, paper, building materials and other useful products as well as their interest in the environmental restorative quality of hemp agriculture. Third world attendees look to hemp as a means to restore agriculture, industry and exports. Attendees were uplifted by the stories of the health benefits, economic opportunities and cost-effective industrial improvements that are derived from hemp production and manufacturing. They expect to be influential in the emerging hemp hemp industry around the world.
The venue for the Asian Hemp Summit in Kathmandu was a perfect setting for a conference about the arising hemp industry. Located along the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains, there were side trips to vie Mt. Everest by air and city tours of spectacular Buddhist Temples. The street seen in Kathmandu was interesting and the food an eclectic blend of Nepalese, Indian and international cuisine. “I look forward to returning next year for the Asian Hemp Summit and also assisting various governments in their management of hemp legislation and regulations.” Stein has been invited by some national interests to do just that. Cannabis Law will keep you informed as matters develop.