Players in the hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) industry could finally rest easy after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finally released its proposed regulations on the CBD industry last week. The Farm Bill passed in December 2018 made the cultivation of industrial hemp legal. Still, the industry remained unregulated, and institutions that offered vital services such as insurance companies and banks avoided working with hemp farmers. Last week’s news ought to have been a reprieve, finally allowing them access to essential services.
However, farmers have come out saying that the long-awaited final interim rule is not the savior they thought it would be. According to Phoenix-based hemp farmer Adam Harris of Vesica Ventures, the regulations will have a significant impact on the entire industry, and they may, in fact, change the industry forever. Federal law requires any hemp grown for medical cannabis to have less than 0.3% THC content, and only by licensed farmers. The new rules cover where hemp can be produced, THC regulations, and the disposal protocols for hemp that doesn’t comply with the set standards. Hemp farmers say that the rules put forth by the USDA will make it almost impossible to grow good quality hemp.
According to Harris, farmers who wish to continue growing hemp for CBD will be forced to harvest from the fourth to the sixth week of flower time, instead of the usual seventh to eighth weeks. Harvesting early will make it easier to comply with the regulations on THC levels, but farmers say it will also impair CBD’s effectiveness. Mitra Sticklen of Om Farms LLC, a hemp processor based in Jacksonville, says that with these regulations in place, CBD products that are popular with the masses will soon disappear from the shelves.
Sticklen adds that “Most scientific research to date is indicating that the most medicinal benefits are with that full-spectrum CBD. These new USDA regulations make it so that we can’t even take in the harvested material to take in those full-spectrum extracts in the way that we have been.” Harris says that the rules are essentially forcing them to harvest immature plants that aren’t ready and don’t have the full cannabinoid profile that hemp has to offer. “I personally farm this because my son is autistic, and CBD has changed his life.”
The USDA provided a 60-day comment period for anyone seeking to voice their opinions on the regulations. It is widely hoped that hemp industry actors like Hemptown USA and Neutra Corp. (OTC: NTRR) will send comments that will prompt the USDA to adjust its rules to a form that doesn’t stifle the industry.
About HempWire
HempWire (HW) is a dedicated information provider focused on (1) aggregating hemp-related news, (2) issuing HempNewsBreaks designed to update investors on the latest developments in the hemp market, (3) enhancing corporate news releases, (4) providing full-service distribution and social media offerings to public and private client-partners and (5) designing and implementing all-inclusive corporate communication solutions. HW is strategically positioned within the rapidly expanding hemp sector with a team of journalists working to help a growing roster of public and private companies reach a wide audience of investors, consumers and members of the media. We leverage a vast network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets to deliver unparalleled visibility, recognition and content to the hemp industry. HempWire (HW) is where HEMP news, content and information converge.
To receive instant SMS alerts, text HEMPWIRE to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.hempwire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the HempWire website applicable to all content provided by HW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.hempwire.com/Disclaimer
Do you have a questions or are you interested in working with HW? Ask our Editor
HempWire (HW)
Denver, Colorado
www.hempwire.com
303.498.7722 Office
[email protected]
