What U.S. Hemp Roundtable does

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit trade association that operates as the principal national advocacy coalition for the U.S. hemp and CBD industry. Founded in 2012 as the Kentucky Hemp Industry Council and rebranded under its current name in February 2017, the organization is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, with a federal lobbying presence in Washington, D.C. through partner law firm Frost Brown Todd. USHR represents hemp cultivation, manufacturing, and retail companies; hemp farmers; and approximately 140,000 consumer supporters, mobilizing them to influence federal and state legislation on hemp extracts, CBD regulation, crop insurance, and trade standards.

USHR's product surface consists of membership tiers (Board Level at $30,000/year, Member Level at $10,000/year, and Advocacy Partner at $1,000/year for nonprofits), the HempSupporter+ individual subscription at $100/year, State and Federal Action Centers that route supporters to legislators, and two adjacent entities it seeded — the U.S. Hemp Authority (USHA, founded 2018), an industry self-regulatory organization that launched an Adult-Use Certification in October 2024, and the U.S. Hemp Sustainability Foundation (USHSF, founded 2021). The organization also operates a National Farmer Advisory Council (launched September 2025) and an Adult Use Cannabinoid Committee (established 2023). Technology is limited to standard advocacy SaaS (email, CRM-driven action centers, a YouTube channel branded USHempTV, and a WordPress site at hempsupporter.com); USHR does not develop proprietary technology.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through recurring membership dues and HempSupporter+ subscriptions, with no disclosed financial statements. Distribution is a hybrid of community-led grassroots mobilization (140,000+ supporters taking action on campaigns) and event-driven direct lobbying (D.C. Fly-Ins that hosted 80+ Congressional meetings in April 2024 and 40 Senate office meetings in September 2024). USHR monetizes its policy access rather than any commercial product, and its competitive position rests on a decade of bipartisan Congressional relationships — most notably its work with then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills that legalized hemp.

Name

U.S. Hemp Roundtable

Legal name

U.S. Hemp Roundtable, Inc.

Website

https://hempsupporter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit trade association that advocates for federal and state hemp and CBD policy on behalf of industry companies, hemp farmers, and 140,000+ consumer supporters, funded primarily through tiered membership dues and HempSupporter+ subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization generates revenue primarily through membership fees from hemp industry companies. Board Level membership costs $30,000 annually with full governance rights and voting privileges. Member Level costs $10,000 annually with policy input rights. Advocacy Partner membership for nonprofits costs $1,000 annually.
2. HempSupporter+ Subscriptions: Individual consumers and advocates can subscribe to HempSupporter+ for $100/year, gaining access to exclusive industry intel, webinars on state and federal hemp policy, custom user dashboard, and curated content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

U.S. Hemp Roundtable is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocacy organization that operates as the hemp industry's leading business advocacy association. It unites hemp companies, farmers, and individual supporters to lobby federal and state governments in support of favorable hemp and CBD legislation, regulation, and policy. The organization mobilizes a grassroots network of more than 140,000 supporters and is recognized for leading the industry's legislative efforts on the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills.

Product overview

The U.S. Hemp Roundtable is a nonprofit hemp business advocacy organization (501(c)(4)) offering membership-based services, advocacy platforms, and educational resources. Its primary offerings include: HempSupporter+ (a premium subscription with insider industry intel, webinars, and a personalized dashboard), tiered membership programs (Board Level, Member Level, and Advocacy Partner) providing lobbying access, a 50-state regulatory survey, and networking opportunities; State and Federal Action Centers enabling grassroots advocacy; and Resources including reference materials, studies, and USHempTV video content. The organization does not offer commercial products but serves as the industry's primary advocacy and policy organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industry Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• The hemp industry supports 320,000 American jobs, generates $28.4 billion in market activity, and contributes $1.5 billion in state tax revenue (per Rep. Comer's testimony)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BlueCheckcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025U.S. Hemp Roundtable partnered with BlueCheck to elevate age verification standards for hemp and CBD businesses. The partnership ensures meaningful age verification for legitimate online adult hemp sales, helping the industry implement responsible compliance measures and protect against sales to minors.
• U.S. Hemp Authority (USHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSHR seeded funding for and co-founded the U.S. Hemp Authority in 2017 as the industry's self-regulatory organization (SRO). USHA administers the guidance plan for industry standards and launched the Adult-Use Certification program in October 2024. Brooke Parker Robertson serves as administrator of USHA.
• Frost Brown ToddcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational law firm providing legal counsel and government relations services. General Counsel Jonathan Miller serves as Member in Charge of the D.C. office and leads the firm's hemp practice. Brooke Parker Robertson and Katelyn Meckes are also affiliated with the firm. The firm coordinates state lobbying efforts across all 50 states.
• U.S. Hemp Sustainability Foundation (USHSF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSHR formed and funded the U.S. Hemp Sustainability Foundation in 2021 to develop sustainability standards for hemp growth and products, promoting research and development for climate-smart agricultural commodity production.
• Hemp Industries AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKatelyn Meckes, Director of Operations, serves as the Roundtable's representative on the Hemp Industries Association Board of Directors, coordinating industry-wide advocacy efforts.
• Hemp Growers of AmericaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Hemp Growers Association serves as an advocacy partner, representing hemp farming interests within the coalition.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hemp Industries Association: The HIA is the oldest US hemp trade association, founded in 1994, representing hemp cultivators, processors, and product manufacturers. Both organizations represent overlapping hemp industry constituencies and have overlapping board representation (USHR's Director of Operations sits on HIA's board), making them directly comparable trade associations.
• National Hemp Growers Association: NHGA is a US hemp farming trade association serving as an advocacy partner of USHR. It represents hemp farmers on cultivation policy, crop insurance, and agricultural regulations, making it a directly comparable industry advocacy organization with similar Congressional lobbying focus.
• National Cannabis Industry Association: NCIA is the largest US trade association for the legal cannabis industry, advocating for federal cannabis reform and representing cannabis businesses. It is directly comparable to USHR in operating model (membership-based trade advocacy) and targets overlapping but adjacent industry constituencies (hemp vs. cannabis).
• Council for Responsible Nutrition: CRN is the leading US trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry. USHR's FDA Counsel (Rend Al-Mondhiry) was previously Associate General Counsel at CRN, and both organizations focus on FDA regulatory advocacy for ingredient categories, making CRN directly comparable in mission and structure.
• Marijuana Policy Project: MPP is a US policy advocacy organization focused on cannabis law reform at federal and state levels. It is comparable to USHR in operating model (grassroots mobilization, lobbying, legislative campaigns) and overlapping but distinct industry focus (cannabis vs. hemp).
• NORML: NORML is a long-established US cannabis policy advocacy organization focused on marijuana legalization and reform. Comparable to USHR as a grassroots-mobilizing policy advocacy organization with overlapping industry concerns, though focused on marijuana rather than hemp.

Emerging players

• U.S. Hemp Authority: USHA is a sister self-regulatory organization founded and funded by USHR, administering industry certification programs including the Adult-Use Certification launched in October 2024. While a USHR subsidiary, it operates as a distinct industry body and is comparable as a hemp industry standards-setting organization.

Broad incumbents

• Consumer Brands Association: CBA (formerly GMA) is a major US trade association representing consumer packaged goods companies on federal regulatory and policy matters. It is comparable to USHR as a broader industry advocacy body with similar lobbying structure, though covering CPG products broadly rather than hemp specifically.
• National Association of Manufacturers: NAM is one of the largest US manufacturing trade associations with significant federal lobbying presence. It is comparable to USHR as a major trade association structure, and USHR's Chief Development Officer previously served as Membership Director at NAM, indicating similar organizational operating models.

Others

• American Bakers Association: ABA is a US trade association for the baking industry. It is comparable as a US industry trade association with membership tiers, lobbying fly-ins, and federal/state policy focus; USHR's Chief Development Officer was previously Senior Director of Membership & Growth at ABA, indicating direct operational model overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about U.S. Hemp Roundtable