Change USDA Hemp Rules

Change USDA Hemp Rules

Started
October 29, 2019
Petition to
Signatures: 22,024Next Goal: 25,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Kristen Abernathy

The new regulations to be enacted by the USDA are unfortunate for everyone in the hemp industry.

1. The new regulations require you to stop using the 3rd party labs that we have all developed relationships with through the years and now require only DEA approved labs can be used. This not only hurts the labs that have been helping farmers out, but still leaves these labs responsible for retaining a government issued accreditation for no reason when every farmer that I’ve come in contact with has been law abiding with our own oversight.

2. The new regs require testing 15 days prior to harvest, this will hurt so many farmers as some farmers use other methods to lower their total THC levels through drying and processing and if they have to abide by these regulations, many plants that could potentially still be useful will be marked as unlawful and destroyed and in turn thousands of farmers will lose their whole crop.

3. Total THC post decarb testing is ridiculous. Farmers have a hard enough time finding good genetics that test less than the .3% delta-9 levels without adding these tests. Farmers did everything they could do to be law abiding since the enactment of the Farm Bill, and adding more strict regulations when so many states are going to full legalization of total THC seems counterproductive and a waste of time to say the least. By doing 0.3% total, the majority of the hemp is going to harvest way early to be compliant.  When harvested early the plants will have half the levels of CBD we are seeing now.  Farmers will be doing the same work with half or less yield of CBD.  

 

4.  We should suggest a path to remediation vs destroying crops.  If the DEA HAS to do something with hemp, have them oversee the transportation of "hot" hemp to specific sanctioned labs for THC remediation vs ruining a farmer's life over a stressed plant's reaction to its enviornment.  Also having a farmer pay a fee to destroy their "hot" crop is not only devastating financially at the part of the year but also is plain cruel.  

 

5.  We also need clear approval that we will be able to transport, sell, and distribuute the existing hemp that was grown under delta 9 compliance even if the total is above .3% total THC.

Compliance with these new regulations is going to be almost impossible and the farmers that have put their whole life savings into a legal business are now being told that everything they worked for is in jeopardy. Please sign this petition with us to show the USDA that the above rules need to be changed!

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Signatures: 22,024Next Goal: 25,000
Support now
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