This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report on the long-term economic feasibility of hemp, which predicts the crop won’t surpass its specialty status, and its production will remain concentrated in a region of the U.S. Meanwhile, Hemp Grower spoke with the pesticides program manager and section chief at the Colorado Department of Agriculture for insight into the criteria regulators use to review and approve pesticides for use on cannabis.
Here are the week’s top headlines you might have missed.
National: The USDA recently released a report on the economic viability of industrial hemp in the U.S. based on a review of state pilot programs. The 83-page document examines the success of states growing hemp under the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill) and what outside factors will determine the industry’s outcome. Read more
Colorado: While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has only approved a few pesticides for use on cannabis, Colorado has taken matters into its own hands and maintains a list of approved pesticides that can be used under the state’s Pesticide Applicators’ Act. Read more
Meanwhile, Denver-based law firm Vicente Sederberg LLP, along with other industry stakeholders, recently released the first of two updated policy recommendations to help state hemp programs comply with new federal hemp regulations outlined in the interim final rule. Read moreOregon: House Bill 4072, which would give the Oregon Department of Agriculture the authority to conduct criminal background checks and other necessary requirements to comply with the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, may be in jeopardy of passing this year. The legislative session is scheduled to adjourn March 8. Read more
Texas: Three cannabis industry veterans who all worked at Canopy Growth have formed a new company, Collective Growth Corp., to raise money to build out hemp infrastructure in the U.S. Read more
Canada: Health Canada, the country’s department of health, is starting a committee to research how cannabis and related products can, or should, be used without a prescription or a doctor’s oversight. Read more
