Washington D.C., Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Hemp Association's Standing Committee of State Hemp Organizations has produced two major initiatives affecting the Hemp Industry - Submission on USDA's Interim Final Rules and a request to the White House for the establishment under Executive Order of a Hemp Federal Advisory Committee.
The Standing Committee of Hemp Organizations (SCOHO) for the National Hemp Association (NHA), established in August, represents directly or indirectly virtually every hemp farmer and related business in America today. Our associations have paid members in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. In addition, NHA covers all fifty states as well as many tribal councils, territories and international interests. As leaders in the hemp industry with regards to state-level policy and business development, it is fair to say we collectively represent more than 90% of hemp farmers and acres grown.
The major issues addressed in the IFR Submission to USDA are:
· Change the sample to be a whole plant composite
· USDA issued Processor Permits to close the legal gap between farm and consumer
· Change harvest window from 15 day to 30 business days
· Change negligence level to at least 1%
· Eliminate DEA certified lab requirement
· Provide options other than destruction for hot crop You can read the full submitted comments here.
NHA/SCOHO Requests White House Action and Executive Order to establish Federal Advisory Committee (FACA) on Hemp
· Delay implementation of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Interim Final Rule (IFR) on hemp until 31 December 2021
· Authorize any state, tribe or territory not presently operating under the USDA 2014 hemp pilot program statute blanket protection to do so until December 31, 2021.
· Direct the Government Services Agency (GSA) to establish a Federal Advisory Committee (FACA)
· Direct the Department of Justice (DOJ) to recognize this FACA committee as a “friend of the Court”
· Instruct the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to refrain from regulating hemp derived products
· Authorize the proposed hemp FACA committee to advise Congress and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) You can read the full submitted letter here.
About the National Hemp Association:
NHA is a non-profit corporation, based in Washington D.C. with more than 50,000 supporters and members, is dedicated to the development of the domestic hemp industry. This goal will be attained by coordinating legislation, agricultural organizations, farmers, processors, manufacturers, and retailers. The promotion of the hemp industry is congruent with the desire to improve the environment through production and utilization of hemp farming and products. We see a direct relationship between the products we use and stewardship of the land. www.nationalhempassociation.org
About the Standing Committee of Hemp Organizations (SCOHO):
Chaired by Joe Kirkpatrick - the mission of the NHA Standing Committee of State Associations is to encourage and assist legislators and regulators to promulgate uniform, fair, constitutional, economically viable and environmentally friendly policy for the collective benefit of hemp growers, processors, related manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and their customers across the whole of the fifty states, sovereign tribes, and territories with the goal of creating a hemp industry so robust and versatile that it revolutionizes the way humans think about everything they consume. Learn more here
For more information contact:
National Hemp Association:
Erica Stark, Executive Director
(202-706-3911)
erica@nationalhempassociation.org
or
Geoff Whaling, Chair
geoff@nationalhempassociation.org
610-554-6929