February

At a National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) meeting in Arlington, Virginia, Greg Ibach (Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)) told members that USDA and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have reached an agreement to remove the requirement for hemp farmers to have their crops tested in DEA-registered laboratories for one year. The DEA requirement was included in the interim final rule for domestic hemp production, released Oct. 31. (Watch his statement.) There are 47 laboratories currently registered with the DEA. Many states do not have a registered laboratory, therefore requiring state, tribal and federal law enforcement agents responsible for testing hemp crops to send samples out of state within a tight, 15-day testing window. William Richmond, director of the USDA’s Domestic Hemp Production program, told farmers at […]

In an update, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw has announced that in March the department will use their new testing method to start testing felony cannabis flower possession charges going back back to June 10, 2019. There are 845 cases that fall into this category. They will not be accepting misdemeanor cases, likely because of the high volume of arrest (over 80,000 a year). Nor will they be testing felony concentrate materials at this time. This leaves agencies in many areas to use costly private labs or forego pursuing cannabis cases.  Read the letter. Please donate to support our important educational work.

For the Informed Texas Veteran Seminar in Haltom City, Lisa L. Pittman, Esq (Member of Texas Hemp Advisory Council) recorded an update on the Texas Hemp Program’s regulations, fee structures, when you will interact with DPS and when licensing for farmers will likely begin.   Or watch HERE.