This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it will be temporarily delaying enforcement of two key—and highly contested—requirements outlined in its interim final rule. Meanwhile, Vermont’s department of agriculture is implementing a new blockchain-backed data tracking platform to administer the hemp program’s registration and create quality control over the industry.
Here are the week’s top headlines you might have missed.
National: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is delaying enforcement of two hemp program requirements that have caused uproar in the industry: testing hemp at a lab registered by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and disposal of non-compliant outdoor crops. The delay will be in place until Oct. 31, 2021, or until the final rule is published, whichever comes first. Read more
Georgia: Bast Fibre Technologies Inc., based in Victoria, Canada, has entered a global licensing agreement with Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific for “a suite of patents related to the application of intact plant-based bast fibers in a variety of nonwoven products and processes.” As part of the agreement, Georgia-Pacific is licensing its intellectual property to BFTi for use in its nonwoven products. Read more
Oklahoma: A recent lawsuit filed in Oklahoma County alleges a company took nearly 21 million hemp seeds from a broker in the state without paying. The nearly 630 pounds of seed is worth nearly $3.68 million, according to the purchase agreement in the lawsuit. Read more
Tennessee: Tennessee Wood Flooring, a company based in Sevierville, has formed a partnership with Murray, Ky.-based Fibonacci LLC, the creator of HempWood, to begin making flooring out of hemp stalks. Read more
Vermont: The state has partnered with a company to develop blockchain technology to administer the hemp program’s registration and track crops and products to help ensure consumer protection and quality control in the local industry. Read more
