Oct
By
The White House approved plans to regulate hemp and its derivatives on Friday, signing off on interim final rules for the crop that were submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA has been working to develop hemp regulations since the crop was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill in December. A top official with the department said earlier this month that rules would be released within weeks and, since then, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has finalized its review of the proposal.
The development was first reported by Politico.
While details of the plan are yet to be seen, they’re expected to provide clarity on a wide range of hemp-specific policies such as THC potency testing guidelines and quality control standards. The rules will be released for public comment shortly.
Hemp farmers have been anticipating the regulations for months, as USDA officials have repeatedly pledged to issue them ahead of the 2020 planting season. Just last week, Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jared Golden (D-ME) sent a letter to USDA urging the department to “expeditiously finalize the hemp rules,” per the obligations of the farm bill.
Read more from the source: MarijuanaMoment.net
Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak.