AHPA Hemp Lexicon

The AHPA Hemp Lexicon was developed to support standardization of the terminology used in the cultivation, processing, manufacturing, and labeling of hemp and products derived from hemp as defined in U.S. federal law.¹ This lexicon is intended to be a reference tool used by the hemp industry and by the federal, state, tribal, and other jurisdictions that oversee the hemp industry to provide guidance and encourage clear, consistent communication. The definitions in the lexicon may provide consumers with a common understanding of the diverse terms used in the description, marketing, and labeling of hemp products as well.

Many of the terms in this lexicon have been long established in other AHPA Guidance Documents, such as the AHPA Guidance for Manufacture and Sale of Bulk Botanical Extracts (2001). Many of these definitions were developed and implemented by AHPA in consultation with a group of global botanical experts, and are harmonized with or have been adopted by other national governments and regulatory bodies, such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia.

Where current hemp industry usage of specific terms for marketing purposes differs from the long-established botanical industry definitions, this lexicon acknowledges those differences and recommends alternate terminology that may be integrated by the industry as it matures. These alternate terms are provided with the long-term goals of achieving consistency within the industry and of establishing a common consumer understanding of hemp product labeling. AHPA strongly encourages the hemp industry to utilize terminology consistent with established botanical industry usage whenever possible.

¹ The term hemp refers to the definition established in 7 U.S.C. 1639o(a).