Eric Steenstra

Executive Director - VoteHemp

Hemp Policy and Regulations: Where do we go from here?

It has been almost 4 years since hemp was legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill. Farmers have faced challenges and the industry has been held back by the failure of FDA to regulate. What policy changes are needed to help the industry grow and succeed?

About Eric Steenstra

Eric Steenstra co-founded the pioneering hemp clothing and lifestyle brand
Ecolution with Steve DeAngelo in 1992. Eric went on to lead the nation’s first
hemp trade group, serving as the Executive Director of the Hemp Industries
Association from 2007 to 2016. Eric now serves as the president of Vote Hemp
and Vice President of the California Hemp Council. He is a frequent speaker at
industry conferences and trusted source to the media, including CBS, New York
Times, Forbes, CNN, Rolling Stone, Reuters and the Washington Post.
In his role at Vote Hemp, Eric led the effort to pass hemp farming legislation
nationwide and defend the hemp market. In 2001, Eric was part of the team that
led the legal effort to overturn the DEA rule banning hemp products containing
“any” THC in them. In 2005, he worked with Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) to
draft the first modern U.S. hemp legislation introduced in Congress (H.R. 3037).