Polis recommends changes to USDA’s proposed hemp rules

Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Agriculture, in partnership with Attorney General Phil Weiser, recently submitted the State’s official response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s interim final rule related to the establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program.

The comments are reflective of the feedback received from numerous statewide stakeholders, including farmers, state and local government agencies, law enforcement, and academic institutions.

Feedback from the State points to significant concerns with the interim final rule, which include concerns about the negligence threshold for crops that go over the THC limit, overly restrictive disposal requirements, burdensome sampling protocol, and the unnecessary requirement of Drug Enforcement Administration registered labs to test an agricultural crop.

"Colorado is the top state for hemp production, and we are proud of our work to increase good jobs and honored to help the Department of Agriculture figure out what we already know about hemp in Colorado,” said Polis. “We want to unleash this industry to grow and innovate. The proposed interim final rule, as currently written, does not support best practices in hemp production at a critical time in the development of this important industry. The recommended changes we’ve put forward will support the hemp industry while establishing appropriate guidelines.”

“These regulations are not scalable or easily implemented in a state with a robust hemp industry as large as ours is in Colorado,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. “Small farming operations will have the hardest time complying with these rules, and we are working to help ensure all hemp producers in the state can be successful.”

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