January 2020 - Page 2 of 6

MondayJan 27, 2020 4:00 pm

Colorado Senate Asks USDA to Loosen Hemp Rules

A resolution favoring loosening of federal regulations governing hemp production has been adopted by the Colorado Senate, and in a few days, the House is expected to follow in their shoes. The state’s legislature, together with the Department of Agriculture, are urging the federal government to establish rules that are less stringent on the state’s hemp program which has been in operation since 2014. This happened after the Senate spoke with the farmers and the industries they supply with their harvest. On January 24, the Senate adopted the resolution whereby the lawmakers swore to support regulatory revisions that are to…

MondayJan 27, 2020 11:55 am

MCTC Holdings Inc. (MCTC) Signs Major Distribution Contract for Hemp You Can Feel™ Line, Files Sixth Hemp Extract Delivery Patent

Unique hemp extract beverage line created via dual infusion clean label process using exclusively natural ingredients with zero chemical additives Collaboration with Marijuana Company of America to expand soon to other MCTC drink offerings Company files sixth hemp extract delivery patent for single-serving coffee pods containing cannabinoids and a unique dosing system MCTC uses strategic agreements, acquisitions, and intellectual property to achieve multiple growing verticals within global cannabis industry Cannabinoid science innovator MCTC Holdings Inc. (OTC: MCTC) announced the signing of a distribution contract with Marijuana Company of America (OTCQB: MCOA) for the former’s Hemp You Can Feel™ beverage product…

MondayJan 27, 2020 9:00 am

Texas A&M University Scientists Devise Tool to Distinguish Hemp from Marijuana

Scientists from Texas A&M University have developed a device that can tell the difference between legal hemp and illicit marijuana in seconds. The assistant professor in the department of biochemistry and biophysics at Texas A&M University, Dmitry Kurouski, said that his team developed a technology that is non-invasive and non-destructive, which are two of the most important factors for law enforcement officers when they are performing on-site identification of marijuana. Lee Sanchez, who is the research assistant credited with developing this device that is the size of a lunchbox, said that using the tool is straightforward. You need to place…

FridayJan 24, 2020 4:00 pm

Largest US Farm Group Calls for Tripling the Federal Hemp THC Limit

The hemp industry is a year old, worth millions of dollars in sales, with experts predicting it will hit $20 billion by 2024. Despite this, farmers aren't happy, and most of their complaints are centered around the rules put forward by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to regulate the sector. The 2018 Farm Bill was instrumental for hemp, classifying industrial hemp as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), and giving farmers the leeway to start growing it under state and tribal programs. However, that was the extent of the Bill's regulation, and the sector labored for months…

FridayJan 24, 2020 9:00 am

Why States Are Opting to Retain Their Hemp Pilot Programs in 2020

It has emerged that a number of U.S. states are opting to apply the 2014 hemp pilot program law this despite the USDA publishing interim final rules for hemp. For example, Maine’s state horticulturist, Gary Fish, said that after observing the uncertainty within the USDA rules, they decided that it would be better for their growers if they maintained their pilot program. Fish further noted that after the agency has finalized the interim final rule, then they would create and submit their plan. Discussed below are the reasons why some states are opting to retain their hemp pilot program in…

ThursdayJan 23, 2020 4:00 pm

Wisconsin Hemp Farmers Can Now Get New Crop Insurance

Although the hemp/CBD sector has been subject to intense demand from a population looking for natural, healthier alternatives, it hasn't been easy for sellers to operate. After decades of prohibition, industrial hemp was legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill, finally giving farmers the leeway to farm the crop through state and tribal programs. And while this was a step in the right direction, it was barely enough to get the industry going. As 2019 began, a few states here and there started their own hemp pilot programs, and with that, hemp was grown on American farms again. However, hemp is…

ThursdayJan 23, 2020 9:00 am

New Trade Deal Compels China to Buy More US Hemp

For years, China has been the primary source of hemp imports into the United States. However, on Wednesday, China entered into a new trade agreement with the U.S. which requires it to buy more of the non-psychoactive marijuana crop from the U.S. Hemp was federally legalized in the U.S. under the 2018 Farm Bill. On Wednesday, China signed an international trade agreement, which requires them to import hemp on a large scale as well as other agricultural products listed in the contract. According to the accord, both parties acknowledge that the agreement would result in trade and economic structural changes…

WednesdayJan 22, 2020 4:00 pm

Initial Tests Find Lots of Arizona Hemp ‘Hot’

When the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp, it had only two conditions; first, farmers had to grow the plants under approved state or tribal programs, and two, the hemp had to have less than 0.3% THC. THC, or delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, is one of the cannabinoids produced by cannabis, and it's what gives marijuana its psychoactive kick. The U.S. Department of Agriculture furthered this stipulation with its interim final rule, terming hemp that's exceeded the THC limit as 'hot'. This has been a subject of intense contention among growers and other interested parties. Some argue that with the current genetics,…

WednesdayJan 22, 2020 9:00 am

USDA Releases List of DEA Certified Hemp Testing Facilities

The American hemp industry has seen a lot of upheavals since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp and gave farmers all over the country leeway to grow the cash crop. In the year that followed, the sector grew by leaps and bounds. However, it was barely regulated, and farmers, processors and other players were having a hard time running their operations. Heeding to calls from industry players and politicians, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its interim final rule on hemp in October 2018. One of its stipulations was that farmers would be required to test their crops…

TuesdayJan 21, 2020 4:00 pm

Ohio Hemp Production Rules Pave the Way for Farmers to Secure Licenses

On Thursday, a state committee in Ohio voted to allow farmers to grow hemp on their land by the end of January. According to the approved hemp regulations by the Department of Agriculture in Ohio, farmers would be allowed to grow a minimum of 1,000 plants on a quarter acre. The farmers are also required to pay an application fee of $100 for a hemp cultivation license and an additional fee of $500 for each cultivation location. The executive director of the Ohio hemp program, David Miran, said that his office received complaints about the 1,000 minimum plants being too…