February 2020 - Page 4 of 4

TuesdayFeb 04, 2020 9:00 am

Colorado Joins Other States Opting Out of Implementing Federal Hemp Rules in 2020

In October 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the much-awaited interim final rule on hemp, finally giving the budding hemp industry a comprehensive regulatory structure. However, as hemp producers went through the interim final rule, they realized that it wasn't the Hail Mary many thought it would be. In the following months, there have been numerous complaints that the federal rules are too tough, and they might spell doom for the sector. In response, a number of states have opted out of implementing the USDA's hemp rules, instead choosing to run their hemp programs under the 2014 pilot…

MondayFeb 03, 2020 4:00 pm

Genetics, Not Cultivation Conditions, Cause Hemp to Become Hot

Despite the rapid growth of the hemp industry, hemp growers are facing the risk of the crop having more than the stipulated level of THC, which renders the plant illegal if it’s more than 0.3%. THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis. Researchers from Cornell University have found that the propensity of the plant to have more than 0.3% THC is not because of the growing conditions, but because of seed genetics. The horticulture professor and senior author of the study, Larry Smart, said that people thought that the crop was found hot because of the way the farmers cultivated…

MondayFeb 03, 2020 9:00 am

Cherokee Tribe Creates Work Group to Study Cannabis

The 2018 Farm Bill was a game-changer for hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant. The federal legislation legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp, instructing states and tribes to create their own hemp programs and submit them to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for approval. In the year that followed, the hemp industry boomed. Under the pilot programs, farmers around the country grew the crop to feed the insane demand for hemp. The plant has various applications, ranging from bioplastics, food, and construction to textiles. On top of that, it produces chemicals called cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) and…