State ag departments join call for 1% THC in hemp

The nation’s state agriculture departments have joined the call for raising the THC limit in hemp from 0.3% to a full 1%.

But the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture did not say in its policy statement how states propose making that change.

The platform was adopted Thursday during the group’s winter meeting.

The Hemp Industries Association and other advocates have called a 1% THC limit a necessary change to encourage participation in the hemp sector.

“The 1% threshold will help give growers all across the country, especially those growing for CBD, some greater flexibility with variety selection and maximizing CBD percentages before a crop goes hot,” said Rob Richard, president of the Wisconsin Hemp Alliance.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has insisted that it can’t raise the THC limit on its own.

NASDA’s policy statement does not take a position on whether the Controlled Substances Act should be changed in Congress.

RJ Karney, NASDA’s senior director of public policy, said the group is simply looking to promote more breathing room for hemp producers.

“This is still an upcoming industry that can benefit from greater flexibility to thrive,” he said in an email.

“By expanding the federal definition to less than or equal to 1% THC in dry-matter hemp, we can give farmers more certainty that their crops will be able to make it to market.”