New Mexico State University Regents OK State Hemp Rules

The board of regents at New Mexico State University have approved the hemp industry draft rules formulated by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture. These rules will now be sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for approval.

The approval given on Wednesday comes as a fulfillment of a condition that was included in the Hemp Manufacturing Act indicating that any rules formulated for the industry have to be submitted to the board of regents at NMSU for approval before they can be implemented after getting the nod from the USDA.

Hemp is an agricultural commodity that is widely grown for fiber, seeds and other products. However, the cultivation of this crop is heavily regulated in the U.S. because of its close resemblance with marijuana, which is federally illegal. Hemp must have no more than 0.3 percent THC content on a dry weight basis, otherwise the law says that the crop must be destroyed.

The new rules approved by the board of regents at New Mexico State University give the department of agriculture in the state authority to regulate, license and inspect different actors within the hemp value chain.

The law also protects hemp breeders from prosecution if their crop becomes “hot” (is tested and is found to have higher levels of THC than what is legally permitted). This protection only applies if the THC level doesn’t exceed 5 percent.

While addressing the regents, the department of agriculture secretary Jeff Witte told the university officials that licenses for the cultivation of hemp in greenhouses were given to 104 companies and those would utilize 7.6 million square feet of grow space, while 300 people had been given licenses to grow hemp outdoors. The acreage expected to be used for outdoor cultivation on the basis of the licenses issued is 7,448 acres.

Asked why the new rules didn’t include language indicating that all hemp testing facilities must operate in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials standards (ASTM), Witte responded that the industry was growing rapidly and that the relevant amendments would be brought before the board of regents once the USDA releases its rules and the state makes changes to bring state rules in alignment with the federal rules.

Despite the number of questions that were posed to the agriculture secretary, the board of regents voted unanimously to approve the hemp rules. Experts now believe that industry actors like Hemptown USA and HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) will be hoping that the approved rules start being implemented under an emergency arrangement so that farmers aren’t kept waiting for those rules to first be cleared by the USDA.

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
Editor@HempWire.net