President Trump releases Industrial Hemp from DEA schedule 1 Listing

President Trump's official signing of the 2018 Farm Bill into law. The bill, which redefines hemp as an agricultural commodity, explicitly removes hemp from the purview of the Controlled Substances Act and the jurisdiction of the Drug Enforcement Administration, thereby paving the way for a massive expansion of economic opportunities across all sectors of the hemp industry.

While this bill allows state and tribal governments to impose their own restrictions and requirements, members of the hemp industry can now work with federally regulated institutions such as banks, merchant services, credit card companies, and advertising platforms. Further, hemp farmers can finally access needed crop insurance and can fully participate in USDA programs for certification and competitive grants. In addition, interstate transport of hemp and hemp products will be legal in all 50 states. The bill specifically defines hemp, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3%, including the plant's viable seeds, extracts, and derivatives.

"Despite being able to legally participate in a 2014 Farm Bill-compliant hemp pilot program, every participating farmer took some sort of financial or otherwise substantial risk," said Colleen Keahey Lanier Executive Director of the Hemp Industries Association. "The hemp provision in the 2018 Farm Bill eliminates those risks in favor of full recognition as an agricultural commodity. We are grateful for the collaborative organization support for the updated provisions made by the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, American Herbal Products Association, National Hemp Association, Vote Hemp, Drug Policy Alliance, and NORML."

While CBD has been the most high-profile hemp product in recent years, hemp has been cultivated for the purpose of food and body care products, paper, textiles, and building materials for hundreds of years. Hemp seeds provide the highest content of digestible protein in both the plant and animal kingdoms and a recent study from Spain's University of Seville found that hemp seed may have "favorable nutritional implications and beneficial physiological effects on the prevention of coronary heart disease and cancer." That said, the FDA will continue to exercise jurisdiction over the regulation of ingestible and topical hemp products.

"After decades of commitment and hard work by revolutionary pioneers and advocates, legalization of the extraordinarily versatile hemp crop as an agricultural commodity is finally upon us. From dense nutrition, body care, and wellness, to paper, textiles, building materials, bioplastics, biofuel, and nanotechnology, hemp has arrived to reinvigorate American farms. We are now experiencing the historic ushering in of true agricultural and industrial revolutions in the United States, and the HIA is poised and ready for both!" said Joy Beckerman, HIA Board President.

The United States is currently the largest importer of hemp goods in the world. The hemp market generated over $820 million in sales in the U.S. in 2017, up from $680 million in 2016, and is expected to swell to $1.9 billion by 2022. Just under 10,000 acres of hemp were cultivated in the U.S. under agricultural pilot and other programs in 2016, and that number more than doubled to just under 26,000 acres in 2017. Using available data for 2018, the Hemp Industries Association estimates there are upwards of 1,200 licensed U.S. hemp farmers operating on over 40,000 acres, along with hundreds of processors across the nation. The new Farm Bill opens the floodgates to domestic production, economic stimulus, job creation, and opportunities for international trade.

Industrial Hemp Candidate Steven Wilson in Missouri Candidate Forum

Candidate Forum: Libertarian Steven Wilson Privatization, Mixed Member Proportional voting method, Taxation is theft, common sense solutions.

Libertarian State Senate Candidate and Cannabis reformer Steven Wilson will attend fourm in State Capitol

JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri state senate candidate for district 6 Steven Wilson has confirmed that he will attend a candidate forum sponsored by the News Tribune on October 2 at the Jefferson City Hall in the Council Chambers. The event will begin at 6pm and end at 8pm. The event will include candidates from both state senate district 6 and house district 60.

Wilson is running as a Libertarian,and is running a campaign that focuses on "Made in Missouri" in regards to Industrial Hemp farming as well as full cannabis reform. He promotes individual soveriengty, and has stated in multiple interviews that, "taxation is theft".

Wilson is opposed by Democrat Nicole Thompson and Republican Mike Bernskoetter.

For questions, please contact Rebecca Martin: rebecca@newstribune.com. The event will be live streamed at: http://www.newstribune.com/

To contact Steven Wilson use the following links: https://www.facebook.com/events/2171334403078643/

https://www.stevenwilsonlibertarian.com/

https://stevenwilson4senate.wixsite.com/missouridistrict6

573-416-0075

California Hemp Regulation 2018

On July 6th, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) published a document titled "FAQ - Industrial Hemp and Cannabidiol (CBD) Food Products." Please take a moment to review the document in full. In this document, the Department indicates that in California "any CBD products including CBD oil derived from hemp will not be allowed in food," including pet food and states that "CBD derived from hemp and cannabis is a federally-regulated controlled substance."

We know that the CDPH's statements stand to impact many of our member stakeholders who are conducting business in the state, and we are working with allied advocacy organizations to strategize an effective response.
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Clip From the CDPH's published FAQ Document:

California incorporates federal law regarding food additives, dietary use products, food labeling, and good manufacturing practices for food. The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 classified all forms of cannabis as a Schedule I drug, making it illegal to grow it in the United States.3 Currently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that it is a prohibited act to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce any food (including any animal food or feed) to which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or CBD has been added. This is regardless of the source of the CBD - derived from industrial hemp or cannabis.

Therefore, although California currently allows the manufacturing and sales of cannabis products (including edibles), the use of industrial hemp as the source of CBD to be added to food products is prohibited. Until the FDA rules that industrial hemp-derived CBD oil and CBD products can be used as a food or California makes a determination that they are safe to use for human and animal consumption, CBD products are not an approved food, food ingredient, food additive, or dietary supplement.

Frequently Asked Questions
 

1. What forms of Industrial hemp derived products will and will NOT be allowed in food in California?
 

Will be allowed in food (without any claim for health benefits): 

• Seeds derived from Industrial hemp 
• Industrial hemp seed oil or hemp seed oil derived from industrial hemp 

Will NOT be allowed in food: 

• Any CBD products derived from cannabis 
• Any CBD products including CBD oil derived from industrial hemp 
• Hemp oil that is not derived from industrial hemp seeds 
• Industrial hemp seed oil enhanced with CBD or other cannabinoids 

Read all of the "CDPH FAQ - Industrial Hemp and Cannabidiol (CBD) in Food Products" document here.

New Industrial Hemp Farming Bill Expected from Rep. Comer

The Industrial Hemp Farming Act will finally be introduced later this week! Congressman James Comer expects to introduce his first Federal hemp bill which will have a few changes to garner more support.

• Vote Hemp successfully advocated for provision to include tribes following the Menominee district court ruling
• We advocated to increase THC levels and gained a compromise that allows research on hemp up to 0.6% THC
• Chair Goodlatte added provision that requires states to make licensee address and crop location data available to state Attorney General
• Rep. Comer has told House leadership this bill is his #1 priority and we are hopeful that it can receive a vote and pass this year
• We expect a Senate companion bill after the House bill is introduced

The Appropriations process is underway and we have been working with Sen. Merkley and Sen. McConnell as well as Rep. Comer to ensure that pro-hemp limiting language will be included to help protect hemp pilot programs from federal agency interference. 

A number of licensed hemp farmers have been denied access to water for irrigation. We were contacted by a farmer in Montana with this problem and worked with our attorney to draft a letter informing the Bureau of Reclamation that hemp grown under the farm bill is 100% legal and they are incorrect to withhold water from Farm Bill compliant hemp growers.  

In addition, Sen. Bennet (D-CO) has introduced SB 1576 to resolve the water access issue along with 5 of his western state colleagues. This will bring more pressure for the Industrial Hemp Farming Act to be passed as it highlights the challenges Farm Bill growers face.  

We were pleased that 6 state hemp bills passed this session and 5 were signed into law (Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming). The Arizona bill was vetoed due to lack of funding for the Ag. Dept. to implement it.  We worked closely with activists and legislators in 3 of those states plus a number of other states where legislation or regulations didn't pass so far this year including Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas. 

We have been doing outreach to members of Congress in states where hemp bills have passed to educate them and gain their support for the Comer bill when it drops.  So far we have met with 15 offices from Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

We are seeing a concerning trend this year of GW Pharmaceuticals promoted state CBD legislation to classify CBD as a scheduled drug under state laws. We tracked several dozen bills that were introduced so far and worked with Bluebird Botanicals to get supporters to push back on a bill in Nebraska and were successful in getting it amended.  

We will be back in touch soon to request that you write your Representative and urge that they support the new Industrial Hemp Farming Act after it is introduced.  

Governor Cuomo promotes Hemp products

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on Wednesday that is aimed at promoting the growth of industrial hemp in New York.
The new law amends existing statute to ensure that industrial hemp is considered an agricultural product and is treated in the same way that other crops and seeds are, according to the bill. It establishes an industrial hemp seed certification program, authorizes industrial hemp data collection, directs state agency coordination on funding and support for hemp research and businesses, and requires the creation of an industrial hemp website to provide information and technical assistance to hemp producers and manufacturers.

"The uses are all across the board, and we can develop more," Cuomo said at a bill signing event in Ithaca, noting the production of hemp pasta. "I really believe this is going to be not just an agricultural boon if we do it right, but it will also be a manufacturing boon because the processors are all on the manufacturing side and they were really looking for someone in this country to step up and take the lead."

Cuomo proposed and won in the state budget an elimination of the 10-site cap on the number of farms that can grown and manufacture hemp.
Hemp is derived from the same plant as marijuana, but has a low level of THC, the chemical that gets users high. That has led to thick federal regulation of hemp.

Missouri Hemp Bill goes to full Senate 2017

House Bill 170, Industrial Hemp Bill, sponsored by Paul Curtman was voted on (5 for and 1 against) in the Senate Agriculture Committee.  It now goes to the full Senate floor.

Contact your Missouri State Senator Now.

http://www.senate.mo.gov/2017-senator-listing-2/

Hemp for All!!