As one of the owners of Dewey Beer, I feel a responsibility to speak out about a federal amendment now moving through Congress – one that, if passed, would deal a devastating blow to hemp producers in Delaware and across the country. This language was inserted at the last minute into a federal spending bill, without the transparency or dialogue that an issue of this magnitude deserves.
At Dewey Beer, and through our hemp-derived brand Sun N’ Shade, we’ve built our products on a foundation of compliance, safety and science. We have invested heavily in rigorous testing, clear labeling and strong internal standards, because we believe that responsible regulation isn’t just good practice, it’s also essential to consumer trust and to the long-term health of this industry.
The bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill created a clear and legal pathway for farmers, small businesses and manufacturers to innovate responsibly. To undo that progress through rushed legislation would close family-run operations, eliminate good jobs, and dismantle years of honest work and investment – not just for us, but also for hundreds of small businesses like ours.
Here in Delaware, the proposed amendment would jeopardize numerous full-time jobs tied to Sun N’ Shade and strip adults of a safe, regulated alternative to alcohol. It would also block local breweries from responsibly exploring new, compliant products – a critical lifeline for small businesses competing in a challenging market.
We built Sun N’ Shade the right way from the ground up, with compliance and transparency at the center. This amendment doesn’t just threaten a brand; it threatens livelihoods, small-business innovation and the economic stability of communities like ours.
I urge lawmakers to reject this amendment and instead work with industry leaders, farmers and small businesses to strengthen hemp regulations through clarity, collaboration and science – not through elimination.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
