USDA Approves Hemp Plans For Utah And Another Indian Tribe

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved hemp regulatory plans for Utah and the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians on Friday. The total number of federally approved hemp plans across states, territories and tribes now stands at 60. USDA has been signing off on hemp proposals on a rolling basis over the past year. Earlier this month, it accepted plans from Maine, Missouri and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. “USDA continues to receive and review hemp production plans from states and Indian tribes,” the agency said in its latest notice. Recently, six states that submitted hemp regulatory plans to USDA were asked to make revisions and resubmit before they’re approved. While the agency released an interim final rule for a domestic hemp production program last year, industry stakeholders and lawmakers have expressed concerns about certain policies it views as excessively restrictive. USDA announced in February that it would temporarily lift two provisions that the industry viewed as problematic. Those policies primarily concern testing and disposal requirements. The department declined to revise the THC limit, however, arguing that it’s a statutory matter that can’t be dealt with administratively. Last week, the agency announced that it is reopening a public comment period on hemp regulations following months of intense pushback on its original proposal. In July, two senators representing Oregon sent a letter to the head of USDA, expressing concern that testing requirements that were temporarily lifted will be reinstated in the agency’s final rule. They made a series of requests…

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Source : MJ moment
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