A hemp industry group in Minnesota has issued a warning to manufacturers to avoid ordering hemp biomass from out of state in the aftermath of a hemp delivery driver from Colorado who was arrested in South Dakota on drug-related charges. The hemp was destined for a manufacturing facility in Minnesota.
The warning, issued by the Minnesota Hemp Association, a newly formed group that has so far attracted a few dozen people to join its ranks, comes just as a federal court is scheduled to hear arguments regarding the transportation of hemp.
Joe Radinovich, the head of the Minnesota Hemp Association, revealed that a processor based around the Twin Cities area had ordered the hemp for purposes of testing their new processing equipment, but the consignment was impounded and the driver was arrested and charged. No charges were brought against the processor who ordered the hemp.
The attorney for the driver is confident that the charges against his client will be dropped, but this case highlights the challenges that Minnesota is likely to face since it doesn’t have a local supply of industrial hemp as yet, despite many processors being already active within the state.
The transportation of industrial hemp across state lines is proving to be one of the most difficult aspects of implementing the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized hemp countrywide.
While the federal law forbids states from preventing the transportation of hemp across state lines, this law may be a lame duck until the federal government, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture, formulates rules that will govern the cultivation and sale of hemp. Because those rules aren’t in place as yet, some states are impounding hemp as an illegal substance.
The federal court referred to earlier is set to give its ruling on Thursday in a case brought by Big Sky Scientific, a Colorado-based hemp company whose consignment of hemp was seized in Idaho earlier this year as the biomass was being transported from Oregon.
A nonbinding legal opinion was issued by the USDA confirming that the 2018 Farm Bill guaranteed the right to transport industrial hemp across states lines, and the hemp industry hopes that the federal appeals court ruling expected on Thursday will bring further clarity to this matter.
The USDA admits that the complexity of testing hemp for THC is partly responsible for the delay to release hemp industry rules, and this has created the confusion in which one state certifies a harvest as hemp while another tests the same crop and declares it to be marijuana.
Experts agree with industry actors like TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FRA: TH8) and VPR Brands LP (OTCQB: VPRB) who believe that the jitters in the industry will only dissipate once the USDA releases the long awaited hemp rules.
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
