Kentucky plans to extend the state’s hemp pilot program for the 2020 growing season, effectively withdrawing its application to get federal approval for its regulations to grow the plant. Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said Tuesday the state will use this year to transition the hemp program from pilot research... Read more
Arizona producers might have geography to blame for joining hemp farmers across the country who have had to destroy their 2019 crops after the plants tested positive for elevated levels of THC. About 41% of the state’s hemp plants tested above the 0.3% legal THC limit, according to the Arizona... Read more
A European Union health agency is warning that eating hemp foods can cause elevated THC levels if ingested in high quantities, a troubling signal for hemp businesses in Europe and worldwide that are seeking assurances that hemp is safe to put in food and drink. The January report from... Read more
Timing, testing and the lack of in-state access to drug-registered laboratories were among the reasons state agriculture officials in six states said their hemp programs will be run under the 2014 pilot research program this year instead of submitting a 2020 hemp production plan under the new proposed federal... Read more
Italy put in place a THC limit for foods made from hemp’s grain, giving producers “long-awaited” guidance for bringing products to market. The Italy Ministry of Health set the maximum THC levels at: 2 milligrams per kilogram for flour, seeds and supplements derived from hempseed (grain). 5 milligrams per... Read more
Six state agriculture departments have opted to run their 2020 hemp production programs under the existing rules, and the number could grow as the spring planting season approaches and federal agriculture officials reject more state plans. Now those states want some assurances that their hemp farmers can harvest their... Read more
Georgia has authorized hemp farming and submitted its 2020 production plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). But to run a program, the state will first need funding. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black is asking state lawmakers for $1.6 million – $800,000 per year over the next two... Read more
Drones can give hemp farmers real-time information about their grows. (Photo courtesy of Parabug) (This is an abridged version of a story that appears in the January issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.) As the hemp industry increasingly looks to artificial intelligence to cut costs and improve yields, drones are top of... Read more
Are you passionate about hemp and want to share your thoughts, advice and innovative ideas with an engaged and sophisticated audience? Applications are now available to become a speaker at the second Hemp Industry Daily Conference, June 3-4 in New Orleans. Brought to you by the editors of Hemp... Read more
Facing confusion from hemp growers and testing companies, federal agriculture officials have published a list of laboratories authorized to test hemp THC concentration under the new interim final rule. The new hemp regulations require labs to be certified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to handle hemp crops... Read more
