Silver Spring, MD - The American Herbal Products Association's (AHPA's) successful advocacy efforts in Louisiana will ensure consumers have access to common herbal supplements that support health and well being. Legislation advocated by AHPA, passed by the Louisiana legislature on June 9 and signed into state law on July 1, allows certain herbs that had been banned by the state to again be sold in dietary supplement products.
AHPA has been working with Louisiana lawmakers over the past several months to amend two pieces of legislation passed in 2005 and 2010 that restricted the sale and possession of numerous herbs in the state. The well-intended laws were designed to remove synthetic substances and herbs thought to have hallucinogenic properties from the marketplace, but also, inadvertently, covered some herbs commonly used in dietary supplements.
AHPA successfully advocated Louisiana lawmakers to adopt an amendment to the 2005 and 2010 laws to provide an exemption for these herbs to be sold in dietary supplement products that are manufactured and marketed in compliance with all federal regulations. Specifically, in order to qualify for the new exemption, dietary supplements with herbs previously banned by Louisiana must be manufactured and marketed in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. Among other requirements, this federal law requires companies to register their supplement manufacturing facility with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), products to be manufactured in accordance with FDA current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) requirements, and companies to report serious adverse events to the FDA.
Several AHPA members provided financial support the passage of this exemption during the 2015 Louisiana legislative session.
"AHPA and the herbal products industry appreciate and support the efforts of the dedicated Louisiana lawmakers to protect their citizens from unsafe substances," said Tami Wahl, AHPA's Special Regulatory Council. "AHPA was able to garner support for this amendment by providing scientific evidence of the safety of these herbs and educating lawmakers about the effectiveness of the comprehensive federal regulations for dietary supplement products."
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The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) is the national trade association and voice of the herbal and botanical products industry. AHPA is comprised of more than 300 domestic and foreign companies doing business as growers, processors, manufacturers, and marketers of herbs and herbal products, including foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and non-prescription drugs. Founded in 1982, AHPA's mission is to promote the responsible commerce of herbal products. Website: www.ahpa.org.
Haley Chitty -- 301.588.1171 ext. 104