High anxiety: Proposed US hemp rules worry industry
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Hemp growers and entrepreneurs who were joyous a year ago after US lawmakers reclassified the plant as a legal agricultural crop now are worried their businesses could be crippled if federal policymakers move ahead with draft regulations.
Licenses for hemp cultivation topped a half-million acres last year, more than 450% above 2018 levels, so there’s intense interest in the rules the US Government is creating.
Critical comments on the draft have poured in from hemp farmers, processors, retailers and state governments. Growers are concerned the government wants to use a heavy hand that could result in many crops failing required tests and being destroyed.
The US Department of Agriculture, the agency writing the rules, estimates 20% of hemp lots would fail under the proposed regulations.
“Their business is to support farmers — and not punish farmers — and the rules as they’re written right now punish farmers,” said Dove Oldham, who last year grew an acre (0.40 hectares) of hemp on her family farm in Grants Pass.
“There’s just a lot of confusion, and people are just looking for leadership.”
The USDA did not respond to the criticism but has taken the unusual step of extending the public comment period by a month, until Jan 29.
The agency told The Associated Press it will analyse information from this year’s growing season before releasing its final rules, which would take effect in 2021.