Government Relations Committee

AHPA has seen a recent trend of 60-day Notices of Violation (NOVs) alleging California Proposition 65 warning violations for naturally occurring chemicals in food products.

On Monday August 23, 2021, AHPA submitted comments to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) in response to the recent enacted Emergency Rule titled “Adult Use Cannabis and Hemp Concentration Limits.”

Through a coordinated effort, several parties with long-standing engagement with and commitment to herbs and herbalism prevented consumer confusion concerning the word “herbalist” by opposing the use of the term as a trademark by an entity not associated with herbalists.

In comments submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 6th, the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) requested revisions to proposed research by the agency on front of package symbols intended to convey the claim “healthy”. In these comments, AHPA requested that FDA expand their research to capture how consumers may respond to the “healthy” symbol in a wider range of package formats, including retail packaged spices and retail packaged tea products.

AHPA has revised its labeling guidance for herbal dietary supplements to cover updated nutrition labeling requirements for dietary supplements, and is making the updated guidance document available FREE to members.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) delivered a letter to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai this month requesting the removal of punitive tariffs from a range of products relevant to the herbal products industry.

AHPA has updated its “Primer on Importing and Exporting CITES-Listed Species,” a free resource that provides the herbal industry with the latest information on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

A recent California Assembly Bill 1341 (AB 1341) that would place heavy restrictions on a broad range of dietary supplements has been held up in the state Appropriations Committee, seriously delaying its passage.

Silver Spring, MD, May 19, 2021 – Today, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced bipartisan legislation that would protect public health by providing legal clarity in the hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) product marketplace.

In comments submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) requested that FWS recommend the removal of artificial-shade grown American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) from that species’ listing on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).