Skip to main content

Mitch McConnell Directs DEA To Figure Out How To Distinguish Hemp From Marijuana

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) inserted language into a spending bill on Thursday directing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop technology that can distinguish hemp from its “illicit cousin” marijuana.

The provision, which was attached to legislation to fund the Departments of Interior and Commerce for Fiscal Year 2020, is meant to support hemp manufacturers and regulators who must ensure that the crop is at or below a 0.3 percent THC content—the legal definition of hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill.

McConnell championed a measure in the wide-ranging agriculture legislation that federally legalized hemp and its derivatives, and he’s since devoted significant efforts to securing protections for the industry. For example, he backed provisions added to a separate appropriations bill last week that provides funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement hemp regulations.

“I stand ready to work with Kentucky’s hemp producers to address whatever challenges arise as they explore the full potential of this remarkable crop,” McConnell said of his latest provision. “Ensuring law enforcement can differentiate between industrial hemp and its illicit cousin is critical, and I’ll continue working with the DEA and other federal agencies so hemp can be treated the same as any other legal commodity.”

The measure, according to a McConnell press release, directs DEA to “to identify or develop on-the-spot field testing technologies” that would “enable law enforcement to distinguish between hemp and marijuana.”

DEA said in March that it was soliciting help to develop a device that can “provide specificity” in telling the cannabis cousins apart.

In May, McConnell also added language to a disaster relief funding bill clarifying that hemp farmers are entitled to federal crop insurance.

Besides his hemp-specific advocacy, the senator has pushed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop rules allowing one of the crop’s derivatives, CBD, to be marketed as a food item or dietary supplement.

He asked the head of the FDA in a letter this month to clear a path for the lawful marketing of CBD products, urging the department to issue enforcement discretion guidelines so that CBD businesses know FDA will only target seriously bad actors as it develops long-term regulations.

USDA Official Says There Are ‘Challenges’ Giving Hemp Farmers Insurance Coverage

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

The post Mitch McConnell Directs DEA To Figure Out How To Distinguish Hemp From Marijuana appeared first on Marijuana Moment.

Original Article Source: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/mitch-mcconnell-directs-dea-to-figure-our-how-to-distinguish-hemp-from-marijuana/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Feds Hire Hazmat Firm For Marijuana Eradication Training

An ambitious campaign to decriminalize psychedelics in Washington, D.C., is one step closer to placing their measure on the November ballot with the formal submission of tens of thousands of voter signatures. Organizers have been scrambling for weeks to collect enough signatures from D.C. voters by Monday’s deadline amid historically difficult circumstances: a global pandemic, months of stay-at-home orders and protests over racism and police violence that filled the streets of the nation’s capital. But with the help of innovative signature-gathering techniques and allies flown in from across the country, advocates said they had successfully submitted upwards of 35,000 signatures—more than enough to qualify the initiative. If approved by voters, Initiative 81 would make enforcement of laws against plant- and fungus-based psychedelics among the “lowest law enforcement priorities” for the Metropolitan Police Department. It would not, however, legalize or reduce penalties for the substa
Post a Comment
Read more

Weed Is So Last Year: The Best CBD Gummies On The Market Today

CBD gummies have taken the industry by storm. As one of the most popular ingestion methods, gummies make it easy to discreetly and easily get your dose of CBD, which has caught on amongst previous CBD users and nonusers alike. Now with a massive amount of brands all trying to make a name for themselves amongst the gummy industry, here is a list of CBD gummies on the market and a description of what makes each brand special. Verma Farms Recently releasing their lineup of gummies, Verma Farms ranked as the current top choice for our CBD participants. Made with American hemp, Verma’s gummies come in three different flavors: Maui Melon (which has a juicy, fruity flavor to it), Peachy Pau Hana (which has the full-punch of a peach smoothie), and Blueberry Wave (which is made with natural fruit flavors), and all of are THC-Free. Hands down some of the best rated for flavor, Verma Farms has an absolute knockout on their hands with these gummies. Green Roads Next on our list comes one o
Post a Comment
Read more

Crime Rates Drop After Marijuana Dispensaries Open Nearby, Study Finds

Whether you’re partnered up or riding solo, marijuana can enhance the longevity, frequency and quality of sexual pleasure, reports a new survey out on Tuesday. Though a number of recent scientific studies have found consuming cannabis can improve bedroom activities for men and women , a report from Lioness, the makers of the world’s first smart vibrator, and cannabis delivery service Eaze offers a more in-depth look at how the substance can affect people’s sex lives. “Cannabis can enhance your orgasms no matter who you are,” the report states. “While a satisfying sex life is the result of many variables, cannabis can increase the length, frequency of, and quality of your orgasms and pleasure sessions whether you’re single or married, solo or with a partner, young adult or silver fox.” The report is the result of an online survey shared with 432 Lioness newsletter subscribers in North America between June 23 and July 1. Researchers also included perspective from 19 Lioness users who
Post a Comment
Read more