November 2024 - HempWire

WednesdayNov 27, 2024 10:00 am

Michigan Shutters State Hemp Program, USDA to Oversee Farmers

The state of Michigan has shut down its hemp program, with cultivators to operate directly under the federal department of agriculture. This move comes a few years after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation and production of hemp nationwide. The measure’s approval allowed states to choose whether they’d use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standardized framework to operate their hemp program or establish their own frameworks. Michigan established its industrial hemp program in 2019, following the approval of its Industrial Hemp Research and Development Act. The recent decision is associated with the approval of HB 5977, which does away…

MondayNov 25, 2024 10:00 am

Idaho Hemp Industry Could Flourish if Restrictions are Eased

The state of Idaho legalized industrial hemp in 2021, the last to do so after the 2018 Farm Bill was passed. Governor Brad Little signed a measure to legalize the production, sale and transportation of the crop in April of that year, with production beginning the next year. Reports from the state’s Department of Agriculture show that between 2022 and now, the acreage of hemp crop cultivated in Idaho has quadrupled. Many expected the nascent industry to bolster the state’s economy greatly and while some strides have been made, farmers maintain that some restrictions are holding Idaho back. Triston Sponseller,…

WednesdayNov 20, 2024 10:00 am

USDA Postpones Enforcement of Mandatory Hemp Testing at DEA Laboratories

In a recent statement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that it had postponed the enforcement of a regulation that directed all hemp cultivators to test their crops at laboratories registered with the DEA. The department explained that its decision was based on input from tribal and state governments as well as third-party marijuana testing facilities that had experienced delays in concluding the lab registration process. Due to these setbacks, the department noted that it was concerned that there’d be insufficient approved hemp lab testing capacity for the coming cultivation season. This is the third year that the department has…

MondayNov 18, 2024 10:00 am

US DoE Awards $8.4m Towards the Development of Hemp-Based Products

The Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains under the Department of Energy recently awarded $8.4 million to Hempitecture. Jennifer Granholm, the secretary of Energy, explained that the department was focused on helping advance technologies that aided America’s transition to clean energy and strengthening national security. Hempitecture offers sustainable cannabis-based alternatives for automobile parts, packaging and building materials. The hemp company is one of fourteen firms that were granted $428 million jointly to support their efforts to promote the manufacture of clean energy, with a focus on eliminating the use of coal. Hempitecture turns fiber short straw and hemp dust…

WednesdayNov 13, 2024 10:00 am

More Architects are Opting for Hemp Walls

Using hemp in construction is growing more popular as the days go by and more architects switch to sustainable materials in one of the most carbon-intensive industries globally. Hempcrete is cementing its place in the industry with its ability to capture significant amounts of carbon, its fire and moisture-proof qualities and its purported insulation. What is hempcrete? Normally, the hemp crop takes about 100 days to mature. Once it is harvested, the stem (hurd) is processed, with the woody fibers being crushed and shredded to size. The crop has regenerative benefits for the soil and is used in different industries,…

MondayNov 11, 2024 2:30 pm

New Rules Worry Hemp Advocates in Tennessee

Hemp was federally legalized with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, making its cultivation and sale legal. Both hemp and marijuana are varieties of the cannabis plant, with anything with a THC content of 0.3% or less being defined as hemp. Anything with a THC content above 0.3% is considered marijuana, which is federally illegal due to its classification under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Other drugs under this classification include heroin, LSD, and peyote. About a month ago, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture released new regulations based on a legislation that sought to regulate the state’s…

WednesdayNov 06, 2024 10:00 am

Tests Reveal Hemp Products in Florida are Highly Potent, Contain Pesticides

A recent analysis conducted on more than forty different hemp products has found that smoke shops and vape stores in the state of Florida are selling illegal cannabis contaminated with toxic pesticides. Under state law, hemp is defined as cannabis with a 0.3% THC concentration or less. Products under this threshold are sold over the counter to individuals aged 21 and above. Any products that have higher THC amounts are illegal in the state, outside its medical cannabis program. The analysis was focused on determining how pure the products were and how often cannabis was being sold as hemp. Forty-one…

MondayNov 04, 2024 10:00 am

Advocates Call for Consumer Safety Standards for the Hemp Industry

Advocates in Wisconsin are championing hemp consumer safety just days after customers at a pizza shop based in the state accidentally became high after ingesting pie tainted with THC. The shop in question, Famous Yeti’s Pizza, has already apologized after they discovered that pizzas at their establishment had been inadvertently tainted with THC-infused oil. THC is the primary psychoactive component found in cannabis. When consumed, it induces a high. Bob Hickey Jr., the Executive Director of Let’s Legalize Wisconsin, formed a coalition that asks legislators to enforce important safety practices for legal hemp products in the state. The Coalition of…