Gov. Kristi Noem is relenting in her opposition to South Dakota’s development of a hemp industry. Noem said Wednesday she won’t veto legislation this session allowing hemp to be grown in the state but that she would require “guardrails” to regulate the plant. She said she wants the crop... Read more
Federal hemp licenses promised last fall have yet to appear, a delay that federal agriculture officials are blaming on extended discussions with the White House. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initially said that farmers in areas that have legalized hemp production but opted out of regulating it could apply... Read more
High input costs, unstable genetics and a steep learning curve impacted most new hemp farmers in the first legal farming season after legalization of hemp as a commodity crop. But small farmers especially are seeing high barriers to entry within the nascent industry, according to farmer advocates. Steep licensing... Read more
Agriculture officials in Florida are now tracking and regulating CBD and hemp products, a change prompted by a state law that took effect Jan. 1. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services oversee products containing hemp and CBD ingredients that are consumed... Read more
Prosecutors in Braunschweig, Germany, are seeking prison time against the operators of a retail shop that sold hemp teas. The public prosecutor’s office says the sale of hemp tea is illegal, regardless how low the THC content. The operators of the Hanfbar retail store – Marcel Kaine and Bardia Hatefi –... Read more
Pet treats and animal food containing hemp derivatives, including CBD, are still not allowed under federal law, and South Carolina agriculture officials say they will start cracking down on companies selling them this month. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) plans to notify consumers and animal feed manufacturers... Read more
There are benchmarks and standards for nearly everything when it comes to agricultural production, but not everyone is always using the same methods or using them in the same tactical way – especially in a nascent industry such as hemp. That’s why a new task force commissioned by the... Read more
A Florida truck driver who was stopped twice last month driving hemp from California to New York is now considering a lawsuit against Texas authorities who jailed him and charged him with felony possession of marijuana. Aneudy Gonzales was stopped for a traffic violation near Conway, Texas, on Dec.... Read more
In agriculture, it’s rare that a new commodity presents such new opportunities for farmers and businesses in the way hemp has. And the nascent industry has experienced its share of growing pains since the 2014 Farm Bill established a pilot research program for the crop in the United States... Read more
A Minnesota hemp farmer facing felony drug charges over a 2018 crop that went hot still has the right to challenge the loss of his hemp license, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Luis Hummel, who owns 5th Sun Gardens in Lanesboro, grew roughly 2,000 pounds of hemp that passed... Read more
