2018 Farm Bill: An Update on the Hemp Industry

2018 Farm Bill: An Update on the Hemp Industry

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  • For Immediate Release
  • January 15, 2026

MEDIA ADVISORY

Public Hearing on the 2018 Farm Bill: An Update on the Hemp Industry

What: The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors and staff are holding an upcoming public hearing on the hemp industry on January 15 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. Hearing presenters will share perspectives related to the impact and unintended consequences of the 2018 Farm Bill and recent federal legislative changes on the hemp industry, including its economic impact, the opportunities and challenges with running a hemp business, and legal and scientific considerations.

Who:
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors

  • Senator Gene Yaw, Chair
  • Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, Vice Chair
  • Dr. Nancy Falvo, Pennsylvania Western University Clarion, Secretary
  • Mr. Stephen M. Brame, Governor's Representative, Treasurer
  • Senator Judy Schwank
  • Representative Dan Moul
  • Dr. David Abler, The Pennsylvania State University
  • Mr. Richard Esch, University of Pittsburgh
  • Dr. Jeffrey Hyde, Penn State Extension
  • Ms. Shannon M. Munro, Pennsylvania College of Technology
  • Dr. Charles Patterson, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
  • Ms. Susan Snelick, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College
  • Mr. Darrin Youker, Governor's Representative

Anticipated Testifiers:

Panel 1: Commonwealth Efforts Related to the Hemp Industry and an Overview of the Federal Farm Bill and Hemp Industry
  • Mr. Frank Schneider, Director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (Testimony)
  • Mr. Chris Lindsey, Vice President of Policy and State Advocacy, American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (Testimony)
  • Mr. Beau Whitney, Chief Economist, Whitney Economics (Testimony)
Panel 2: Legal and Scientific Perspectives on the Hemp Industry
  • Mr. Kevin R. Steele, District Attorney, Montgomery County, PA (Testimony)
  • Mr. John Adams, District Attorney, Berks County, PA; Communications Chair, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (Testimony)
  • Mr. Kevin McKernan, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder, Medicinal Genomics (Testimony) (Testimony #2)
Panel 3: Pennsylvania's Hemp Business Community
  • Mr. Jake Sitler, President, Pennsylvania Hemp and Cannabis Guild; Owner of Endo Café, Lancaster County, PA (Testimony)
  • Mr. Tyler Shannon, Owner and Farmer, Shannon Family Farm, Adams County, PA (Testimony)
  • Ms. Cynthia Petrone-Hudock, Co-Chair, Hemp Steering Committee; Owner, Hemp Alternative (Testimony)

Submitted Written Testimony:

  • Ms. Meredith Buettner Schneider, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition (Testimony)
  • Ms. Mariah Shaw, Government Relations Director, Terrapin Care Station, Jersey Shore, PA (Testimony)
  • Mr. Jesse Worsk, Co-Founder, Black Bear Dispensary, Grove City, PA (Testimony)

When: Thursday, January 15, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Erie Room, Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, 2300 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, PA 17110

Livestream: www.SenatorGeneYaw.com and www.Facebook.com/SenatorGeneYaw .

Contact: Katie Park, Communications Manager, Center for Rural Pennsylvania, (717) 787-9555, kpark@rural.pa.gov

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Center works with the legislature, educators, state and federal executive branch agencies, and national, statewide, regional and local organizations to maximize resources and strategies that can better serve Pennsylvania's nearly 3.4 million rural residents.

Contact

Katie Park, Communications Manager
Center for Rural Pennsylvania
717.787.9555