The cultivation, processing, and possession of hemp is now legal in the United States, thanks to the National Hemp Production Program. This program established federal regulatory oversight of hemp production in the US. In response to comments from stakeholders, the USDA made temporary revisions and reopened comment periods for additional information. On Friday, the USDA also released supplemental guidance materials on the sampling, testing and elimination components of the rule.
The current Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, has said that the agency was tied up in part due to legal obligations, and also noted the DEA's refusal to create regulations for the market. The bill removed hemp and any cannabis strain containing less than 0.3% THC by weight from the Drug Administration's list of controlled substances. Now, growers can grow hemp if they meet those requirements or if they do so in accordance with an approved state or tribal hemp production plan. Since the legalization of hemp by the federal government, 48 states, as well as Puerto Rico, have passed laws related to hemp production.
The distribution ranges from 0.29% to 0.37% and, since 0.3% is within that range, the sample will be considered industrial hemp. The Virginia Senate holds its first marijuana legalization hearing, and more are scheduled for next week. The governor of California signs 10 marijuana bills, including interstate commerce. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Friday that it has finalized federal regulations for hemp.
Industry stakeholders say they are encouraged by improvements over the initial interim rules, but see room for further changes, which they expect to come under the next Biden administration. Feds to send marijuana and hemp samples to laboratories as part of an accuracy study of large-scale testing (Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak). Larry Farnsworth, spokesman for the National Industrial Hemp Council, said the organization is “pleased” that the USDA has finally published its long-awaited regulation on the U. S.
UU. Domestic hemp production and I'm glad you've heard the industry's concerns regarding sampling and testing. Based in Lafayette, Colorado, agricultural biotechnology company Front Range Biosciences uses selective breeding to develop hemp strains that don't produce THC. Before the Marijuana Tax Act was enacted, hemp was a mandatory crop for all American farms because of its utility and commercial value.
All THC remediation methods involve the concentration of CBD (or another desired cannabinoid) and the removal of THC from the hemp extract. If a hemp producer negligently violates a hemp production plan, they will be required to comply with a corrective action plan that includes periodic compliance reports to the appropriate state or tribal authority or to the USDA. Over the past decade, laws that regulate hemp in the United States have undergone a significant transformation. It's impressive that the department was able to come up with a comprehensive set of regulations for a complicated subject in a short period of time.
However, questions remain about some aspects of hemp production due to there being only one federally approved cannabis supplier in the entire country - The Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Institute at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. Many members of the advocacy community hope that the hemp policy reforms under the Farm Bill will serve as a first step toward broader cannabis reform. Understanding all aspects of federal regulations on hemp is essential for anyone looking to get involved in this industry.
