Hemp Production and Processing Rules Expected in September

The USDA is expected to issue new rules for growing and testing hemp sometime September.  Because of that, some farmers feeling anxious about establishing consistent standards for producing the booming crop.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon told Capital Press he expects the USDA to issue those regulations sometimes within the next two to four weeks.  Wyden was one of the sponsors of legislation decriminalizing hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill.  The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 passed with bipartisan support and classified hemp as an agricultural product.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that you are on the right side of history,” Wyden said during remarks to a crowd at the Western U.S. Hemp Growers Conference and Expo on August 19 in Portland,OR. “You don’t have thousands of farmers moving into this space for nothing. Hemp can be used to make multiple products like paper, textiles, clothing, and building materials. The primary use in the market today is for an extract called CBD Oil, which companies put into everything from cosmetics to beverage, touting health benefits.

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