by Jacob Mulliken – Messenger-Inquirer
Hemp farmers, lobbyists and politicians alike are shifting their focus headed into the 2020 grow season from the field to the capitol.
Despite a glut in the 2019 CBD market that has left many farmers saddled with their 2019 crop, shady processors and a meager THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) threshold of .3% that led to the destruction of thousands of acres hot-hemp (hemp considered to be marijuana for going over the threshold), the major obstacles in the way of the hemp industry are the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture.
To be sure, small steps have been made by both entities in recent months in regard to recognizing that it’s a “fools errand,” to keep the public from seeking CBD products, according to the FDA.
Even with acknowledging the public’s interest in the burgeoning hemp industry, progress has been slow and with the USDA’s final rule on hemp set to be made in the fall.
To help bring about a positive end, a very vocal hemp electorate is forming nationally and will not be denied, said Paul Glover, owner of Hawesville-based Mile Marker 5 CBD.
