California has been an early adopter throughout the advancement of cannabis legalization in the U.S. However, with hemp regulations amiss, the hemp industry in California has yet to realize any profits. Co-owner of Farmtiva, Christopher Boucher told Hemp Industry Daily, “It’s just complete chaos...” Farmtiva’s hemp on a 60 acre plot is the first state-approved hemp venture that has seeds in the ground in California since voters approved hemp cultivation in 2016.
The regulatory confusion is a result of California legislation debating what the bill should include, such as:
Allowing cities and counties to ban hemp production if “pollen drift from industrial hemp crops may pose a threat to licensed cannabis cultivators.”
Allow cities and counties to levy additional fees and taxes on hemp producers, without limitations.
Require hemp growers to submit proof of seed certification to state agriculture authorities along with samples of THC testing.
Many argue that the bill isn’t in support of farmers. A lot of the confusion seems to be sourced from the concern of cannabis cultivators discerning about male hemp plants’ pollen potentially reducing the THC content of flowering cannabis females grown for THC content from distances as far as 80 miles.
As the hemp bill is still pending in the California Senate, the state is expected to miss another year of large-scale commercial production.
Comments