March 2020 - Page 2 of 2

FridayMar 06, 2020 9:00 am

3 Hemp Titans Join Forces and Create Supply Chain

Hemp had been outlawed for decades until Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill. The legislation made an important distinction between hemp and marijuana, defining hemp as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana. States and tribes interested in growing hemp were required to create and submit their hemp programs to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for approval. Within a year, the market for hemp was booming, mainly driven by the demand for hemp-derived cannabidiol. However, it's become quite clear that the hemp supply chain is riddled with issues. According to George Weiblen, a professor…

ThursdayMar 05, 2020 4:00 pm

Ohio Starts Receiving Hemp Cultivation and Processing Applications

The Department of Agriculture in Ohio started accepting applications for hemp cultivation and hemp processing licenses on March 3. Growers who are interested in applying should head to the department's website for more details. The application is purely online, and it would include a mapping tool, which would help farmers indicate where they are planning to grow hemp. Although hemp can be cultivated across the state, the Department of Agriculture must approve all growing sites, and farmers can use clones or seeds to grow the crop. The department stipulated that the clones can only be obtained from licensed greenhouses or…

ThursdayMar 05, 2020 9:00 am

Ohio to Follow Kentucky’s Lead in Hemp Production

If Ohio manages to have proper licensure and paperwork completed on time, they will be able to participate in this year’s planting season, a season in which the state will plant its first hemp crop since the plant was federally legalized. Last week, the Mohican Growth Foundation and the Loudonville Farmers Equity hosted a presentation to assist Ashland County farmers with the resources they need to venture into the hemp business. The Department of Agriculture Hemp Program in Ohio, which is led by the executive director David Miran Jr., is the point of contact for farmers and processors who need…

WednesdayMar 04, 2020 4:00 pm

KSU Scientists Share Their Hemp Research Findings

When the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp and its extracts, farmers all over the country were finally given access to a high reward cash crop. The first batch of farmers started growing hemp under pilot programs, and soon, one thing became abundantly clear: we know very little about hemp cultivation. The crop had been outlawed for decades after all, and this had prevented any sort of research into hemp. This made it even harder to thrive in the industry, where farmers were facing punitive federal legislation, among other issues. Kansas State Research and Extension…

WednesdayMar 04, 2020 9:00 am

New Senate Bill Includes Hemp and Marijuana Drinks Bottles in Recycling Program

Over the past few years, it's become increasingly clear that the planet is hurting under humanity's reign. Governments from all over the globe have started taking steps to reduce environmental pollution, and for many of them, this has included recycling non-biodegradable materials like glass and plastic or banning their use outright. Not only does this reduce the impact on the environment, but it prevents the manufacture of more of these materials when they're recycled. In the U.S., a pair of Senators have introduced a new bill that would promote recycling beverage containers, and here's the kicker, it explicitly stated that…

TuesdayMar 03, 2020 4:00 pm

Hemp Harvesting and Storage Mistakes Farmers Should Avoid

In 2019, hemp farmers who were growing hemp for the first time learned the hard way about the cost of doing business without having harvesting plans or purchase contracts in place. Most of the farmers were promised that they could make profits of up to $50,000 per acre, and since they were looking for a reprieve from low crop prices and foreign tariffs, they rushed into planting and cultivating the newly introduced legal crop. However, the growers did not put into consideration the cost of harvesting, drying, and processing the crop before getting it ready for sale. Those who have…

TuesdayMar 03, 2020 9:00 am

USDA Relaxes DEA Testing Facility Requirement for 2020 Hemp Season

The USDA requirement for testing of hemp by DEA-registered labs would be delayed for the 2020 planting season. And the FDA said that it’s pointless to tell people to stop taking over-the-counter CBD. On Thursday, the USDA issued an update acknowledging complaints submitted by the farmers and the different states. They acknowledged that the DEA-registered labs available in the country would not be enough to handle the hemp testing demands across the U.S. In the update, the USDA wrote that they now understand how the limited number of DEA-registered labs would impact the testing process such as delays and the…

MondayMar 02, 2020 4:00 pm

Hemp Varieties and Processing Top Challenges for Illinois Farmers

For many, the 2018 Farm Bill was the shot in the arm that American agriculture needed. After years of growing cash crops like soybeans and corn, American farmers were ready for something that would bring in higher profits. Enter hemp, a variety of cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, a high risk, high reward crop that would revitalize American agriculture. As soon as the bill was passed, states began creating their hemp programs as farmers started cultivating hemp under pilot programs. And after just a year of legality, the hemp sector is worth millions of dollars in sales, and experts…

MondayMar 02, 2020 9:00 am

Colorado Farmers and State Officials Seek Ways to Bypass Federal Hemp Regulation

In October 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published its interim final rule on hemp in a bid to give the hemp sector some semblance of order. The industry exploded after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp, mostly pushed by the demand for hemp-derived CBD oil. However, due to a very loose regulatory structure, the industry was fraught with issues that made it difficult for hemp growers to operate. While the arrival of the interim final rule on hemp was applauded, it soon became apparent that some of the proposed regulations would be counterproductive to the budding sector. Growers…