b'h HEMP / POLICYCannabis Breaks FreeD UE TO HEMPSfamilial relationship to protocols for the commercial pro-marijuana, individual states and the U.S.duction of industrial hemp in the government began to criminalize all can- United States is U.S. Department nabis throughout the 20th century. A lackof Agriculture Undersecretary of understanding about the plants differences led to40 for Marketing and Regulatory laws that restricted or prohibited growing cannabis. states havePrograms Greg Ibach.It was 1970 when the U.S. Comprehensive DrugapprovedAfter hundreds of meetings Abuse Prevention and Control Act abolished its legali- production ofand consultations with stake-zation by means of the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act. Thenon-marijuanaholders and interested parties in Act established a zero-tolerance policy for tetrahydro- hemp. Washington, D.C., and in the states, cannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive componentan Interim Final Rule is undergoing produced by cannabis plants. Although plants used foran interagency review.marijuana production are distinct from those grown for<0.3% In a report to the Senate fiber production, federal law lumped them togetheris the THCCommittee on Agriculture, and prohibited their use for nearly 50 years. threshold thatNutrition and Forestry, Ibach said While the 2018 Farm Bill radically overhauleddistinguisheshe hoped to issue regulations in the Americas relation to hemp and hemp products, thecannabis fromFall of 2019 to accommodate the 2014 Farm Bill cleared a path for legalized cannabishemp.2020 crop year.production. In Section 7606 of the 2014 Farm Bill,Once the regulation is pub-states were given authority to implement laws allowinglished and becomes effective, AMS state departments of agriculture and universities to2014 (Agricultural Marketing Service) grow hemp for research or pilot projects. Farm Billwill move quickly to establish the The farm bill changed how cannabis is treatedallowed agprogram, he said. AMS will begin under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), saysdepartmentsaccepting and reviewing state Lowell Schiller, U.S. Food and Drug Administrationand universitiesand tribal plans as well as license associate commissioner for policy. Among otherto grow hempapplications submitted by individu-things, this law removed a category of cannabis knownfor researchals who are located in states or as hemp from CSAs definition of marijuana, whichand pilotterritories of Indian Tribes that will means that hemp is no longer an illegal controlledprojects, not operate on their own.substance under federal law. More than 40 U.S. states have The farm bill defines hemp as cannabis with nolegislation approving the produc-more than 0.3% by dry weight of the psychoactive483,000 tion of non-marijuana hemp. Even compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.U.S. acres wereAlaska has an approved industrial Cannabis plants and derivatives with higher THCplanted tohemp program, but Kentucky and content, including marijuana, are still under the CSA. hemp in 2019,Colorado are two states with the According to Wendy Mosher, CEO of New Westaccording tolongest running programs.Genetics, the only thing that distinguishes hemp fromUSDA. Each program must consider a marijuana is the amount of THC produced within thenumber of aspects, including reg-plant. Mosher points out that THC is one of many can- istration and permitting, reporting, nabinoids in the species Cannabis sativa L., but the only1.1 bill testing and certified seed.$one proven to give the user a high.is the 2018In Colorado, companies that Cannabinoids are found in both high THC cannabisrevenueproduce hemp seed must follow a and low THC cannabis. generated bynumber of stringent rules and pro-Charged with the task of working with farmers andthe U.S. hempcedures, including filing an applica-ranchers to develop and implement regulations andindustry. tion each year with the Colorado 26/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2019'