Did the 2018 Farm Bill’s Hemp Provisions Decriminalize Marijuana?

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Coleman
Keyword(s):  
Legal Status ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Farm Bill ◽  
Agricultural Improvement ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Industrial Hemp ◽  
Based Medicine ◽  
The U.S

Abstract In 2014, Congress removed industrial hemp with a concentration of ≥0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) dry weight from the definition of marijuana in the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Hemp production was authorized in a limited pilot program until 2018, when Congress passed the Agricultural Improvement Act (Farm Bill) that expanded the program to anyone licensed to produce hemp by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or by a USDA-approved State or Indian tribe. Hemp’s greatest value is in two of its 80-plus molecules: cannabidiol (CBD) and THC. These molecules, present in all forms of Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis), including hemp, have medicinal and recreational uses. By removing hemp from the CSA, the Farm Bill altered the legal status of hemp’s extracts, including CBD and THC. In 2018, Epidiolex®, the world’s first and only CBD-based medicine, was approved in the U.S. The drug was placed in Schedule V of the CSA to comply with an international drug treaty requiring control of cannabis and all its extracts. In April 2020, Epidiolex was removed from the CSA schedules. This occurred, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), because with a THC content below 0.3%, Epidiolex no longer met the Farm Bill’s criteria as a controlled substance. This review discusses the Farm Bill’s hemp provisions and how they have affected the legal status of hemp derivatives CBD and THC. The review also discusses a loophole in the Farm Bill that decriminalizes the production of marijuana by negligent hemp farmers. In passing, we discuss how lobbying by the hemp/CBD industry influenced passage of the Farm Bill.

scholarly journals Cannabis, the Plant of the Unlimited Possibilities

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Klaus Dölle ◽  
David E. Kurzmann
Keyword(s):  
Review Paper ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Farm Bill ◽  
State Regulations ◽  
Extraction Processes ◽  
Alternative Feedstock ◽  
Industrial Hemp ◽  
High Cellulose ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Beauty Products

This review paper gives an overview of Cannabis Sativa, also known as hemp, which has been cultivated and used century's B.C. due to its medical, hallucinogenic and agricultural properties. Cannabis has been described in 1938 as the billion-dollar plant but has lost its value in the U.S. due to regulatory and legislative issues. Hemp has seen as new push In the U.S. with the introduction of the 2018 Farm Bill which allows on a federal level to grow hemp, pending on individual state regulations. Currently, industrial hemp production is allowed in at least 38 U.S. States under strict regulations. Today hemp is used in counties that do not have as strict regulations as the U.S. in a variety of applications such as beauty products, carpets, cooking oil, personal care products and textiles. Hemp can be considered as an alternative feedstock due to its low lignin and high cellulose level for biofuel application as an alternative to replace petroleum-based fuels and gases. In the U.S. hemp research in these areas has stalled due to the complexity of the law. Beside industrial application such as ropes, textiles, shoes, etc., hemp today is used in pharmaceutical and medical applications, by extracting Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinoids from the leaves and fluorescence of the hemp plant that contain no more than of up to 0.3% of these compounds. The use of hemp plants with higher levels are strictly forbidden in most countries. Several extraction processes of cannabinoids from hemp are used They all use a solvent for extraction but differ in terms of efficiency, usage range and other factors influencing the extraction. Nonetheless, overconsumption of cannabis products can be associated with several side effects, that can cause serious physiological and psychological damage in the human body may cause serious damage.

U.S. Farm and Food Subsidies

Food Fights ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 162-186
Author(s):  
Sarah Ludington
Keyword(s):  
Right Wing ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
School Lunches ◽  
Department Of Agriculture ◽  
Farm Bill ◽  
The Great Depression ◽  
The Right ◽  
American Agriculture ◽  
Farm Subsidies ◽  
The U.S

From its founding, the U.S. government has promoted agriculture, and since the Great Depression, has directly supported farm incomes and crop prices. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal programs linked farm subsidies to food assistance for the poor, a politically successful combination then and now. Sarah Ludington describes how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Farm Bill, became responsible for school lunches, food stamps, and land conservation in addition to billions of dollars in subsidies for commodity crops like corn and cotton. Now a target for both the right wing and left wing of American politics, the Farm Bill continues to embody the tensions at the heart of American agriculture.

scholarly journals Two-Hour Magneto-Priming with Static Magnetic Fields Ranging from 65 ± 3 to 505 ± 8 mT Does Not Improve the Germination Percentage of Industrial Hemp Seed at a Sub-Optimal Germination Temperature

J ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 192-196
Author(s):  
Kathrin Spendier
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Seed Priming ◽  
Germination Percentage ◽  
Hemp Seed ◽  
Static Magnetic Fields ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Industrial Hemp ◽  
The U.S

Industrial hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of Cannabis sativa L., i.e., it contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinols (THC). This crop is one of historical importance in the U.S. as manufacturers seek industrial hemp as a renewable and sustainable resource for a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. To help farmers succeed, agronomic research on industrial hemp is needed. In this trial, investigations were performed to determine whether magneto-priming, a form of seed priming that involves magnetic fields, effects the germination percentage of industrial hemp seed. Beneficial effects of magnetic fields on seedling growths and germination have been reported for many different plant species. Dry industrial hemp seed was exposed to static magnetic fields ranging from 65 ± 3 to 505 ± 8 mT for 2 h prior to seed germination. Germination was performed at 13.6 ± 0.7 °C, a temperature that is representative of the germination temperatures of industrial hemp in the U.S. state of Colorado. Magneto-priming of seed had no statistically significant effect on seed germination percentage.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Effect of Topping on Cannabidiol (CBD) Content in Two Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Cultivars

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Antigolena FOLINA ◽  
Ioanna KAKABOUKI ◽  
Evangelia TOURKOCHORITI ◽  
Ioannis ROUSSIS ◽  
Harry PATEROULAKIS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Maximum Height ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
Cultivation Practices ◽  
Industrial Hemp ◽  
Compactness Index

In order to define the finest cultivation practices for two of the most commercial hemp cultivars (‘Fedora 23’ and ‘Futura 75’) under the Mediterranean climate, the treatment of topping was applied in hemp crop in Central Greece. The object of the study was to assess if topping can increase the cannabidiol (CBD) production. In addition, the growth of the two cultivars was also investigated. Our results showed that the treatment of topping and cultivar affected the CBD content. The inflorescence compactness index and the number of nodes were affected by cultivar and topping. The number of inflorescences on secondary shoots was affected only by topping. The leaf area was affected by the interaction of cultivar and topping. The maximum height was recorded in un-topped Futura 75 plants, while the highest fresh and dry weight were found in topped Futura 75 plants. The total inflorescence dry matter was higher in topped plants.

scholarly journals Genomic and Chemical Diversity of Commercially Available Industrial Hemp Accessions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Johnson ◽  
Jason G. Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
High Demand ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Developing Seed ◽  
Chemical Profiles ◽  
Planting Materials ◽  
Industrial Hemp ◽  
Female Flowers

High consumer demand for cannabidiol (CBD) has made industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) an extremely high-value crop. However, high demand has resulted in the industry developing faster than the research, resulting in the sale of many hemp accessions with inconsistent performance and chemical profiles. To determine the genetic and phenotypic consistency in available CBD hemp varieties, we obtained seed or clones from 22 different named accessions. Genotypes (~48,000 SNPs) and chemical profiles (% CBD and THC by dry weight) were determined for up to 8 plants per accession. Many accessions--including several with the same name--showed little consistency either genetically or chemically. Most seed-grown accessions deviated significantly from their purported levels of CBD and THC based on the supplied certificates of analysis. Several also showed evidence of an active tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) synthase gene, leading to unacceptably high levels of THC in female flowers. We conclude that the current market for CBD-hemp varieties is highly unreliable, making many purchases risky for growers. We suggest options for addressing these issues, such using unique names and developing seed and plant certification programs to ensure the availability of high-quality, verified planting materials.

Wild Wild West: Emerging Viruses and Viroids of Hemp

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 175-179
Author(s):  
Punya Nachappa ◽  
Ana Cristina Fulladolsa ◽  
Mark Stenglein
Keyword(s):  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Diseases ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Production Plant ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Emerging Viruses ◽  
Farm Bill ◽  
The Us ◽  
Industrial Hemp

Hemp (Cannabis sativa) or industrial hemp is a rapidly growing industry in the United States. However, the crop has been poorly studied in the US since its production declined in the late 1950s, and information on the biological and agricultural factors affecting hemp is limited. With the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, hemp is no longer considered an illegal plant and is now a legal agricultural crop in the US. Within the bill, Section 7606 (Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research) provided a formal definition of the crop as "the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of such plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis". In addition, the 2018 Farm Bill addressed many issues that had previously impeded development of the crop. Currently, 46 US states have enacted laws removing barriers to its production. In 2019, hemp production was 206, 965 hectares with 16,877 grower licenses across 34 states, according to "US Hemp Report" (www.votehemp.com). This is a greater than 455% increase over 2018 licensed acreage. Colorado, the leading state in hemp production increased production from 4,873 licensed hectares (346 growers) in 2017 to 12,525 licensed hectares (835 growers) in 2018. The US retail sales of hemp products was reported at $1.2 billion in 2018. The most profitable market for North American hemp is oilseed production and cannabidiol (CBD), a nonintoxicant cannabinoid with promising therapeutic use as a pharmaceutical product. Current CBD sales are estimated at $190 million and are projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2022. As we enter this new era of hemp production, plant diseases associated with the crop in the US and associated disease management needs are essentially undescribed. The emergence of phytopathogens and their spread is a rising concern as hemp production increases. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify emerging and established hemp viruses and viroids, elucidate their diversity and distribution, develop early pathogen detection tools, and provide hemp growers, industry and other stakeholders information and resources to make timely management decision and minimize crop loss.

scholarly journals Impact of Growth Stage and Biomass Fractions on Cannabinoid Content and Yield of Different Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Genotypes

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Burgel ◽  
Jens Hartung ◽  
Annegret Pflugfelder ◽  
Simone Graeff-Hönninger
Keyword(s):  
Growth Stage ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Maximum Yield ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Maturity Stage ◽  
Weight Yield ◽  
Full Flowering ◽  
Additional Value ◽  
Industrial Hemp ◽  
The Impact

The medicinal use of cannabinoids renewed the interest in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of growth stage and biomass fractions of seven industrial hemp genotypes. The study focused on biomass yield, content of cannabidiolic acid/cannabidiol (CBDA/CBD), cannabigerolic acid/cannabigerol (CBGA/CBG), and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). The experiment was conducted in 2017 and 2018. The biomass samples were taken at the vegetative (S1), bud (S2), full-flowering (S3) and seed maturity stage (S4). Plants were fractionated into inflorescence, upper and lower leaves. The average inflorescence dry yield of genotypes Futura75, Fédora17, Félina32 and Ferimon ranged between 257.28 g m−2 to 442.00 g m−2, resulting in a maximum yield of CBDA at S4, with 4568.26 mg m−2, 6011.20 mg m−2, 4975.60 mg m−2 and 1929.60 mg m−2, respectively. CBGA was exclusively found in genotype Santhica27, with a maximum CBGA yield of 5721.77 mg m−2 in inflorescence at growth stage S4 and a dry weight yield of 408.99 g m−2. Although these industrial hemp genotypes are mainly cultivated for fibre and seed production, however, cannabinoids offer an additional value. For an optimized harvest result, yield of extractable material and overall yield of cannabinoids must be considered.

scholarly journals Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization on Growth and Yield of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panayiota PAPASTYLIANOU ◽  
Ioanna KAKABOUKI ◽  
Ilias TRAVLOS
Keyword(s):  
Plant Height ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Control Plant ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Industrial Hemp

Fibre hemp is grown for a multitude of end products derived from its cannabinoids, seed, fibre and wooden core. A key factor that influences the quantity and quality of the production of hemp is nitrogen fertilization. The aim of this study was to determine the response of five well-adapted industrial hemp cultivars to different nitrogen fertilization rates during the 2016 growing season. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with two replicates, five main plots (hemp cultivars: ‘Bialobrzeskie’, ‘Tygra’, ‘Felina 32’, ‘Sanhtica 27’, ‘Futura 75’) and sub-plots [fertilization treatments: control (N0), fertilizer 46-0-0 at 120 kg ha-1 (N1), 180 kg ha-1 (N2), 240 kg ha-1 (N3)]. For the computation of height, biomass yield, stem dry weight, length and weight of the inflorescences and mean seed weight, 10 plants were randomly selected in each plot. In general, increasing N fertilization rate positively impacts hemp biomass yield, stem dry weight, plant height, and inflorescence indices. Biomass yield, stem dry weight and inflorescence weight increased by 37.3%, 48.2% and 16%, respectively, with the application of 240 kg N ha-1 when compared with the unfertilized control. Plant height and inflorescence length increased from 1.66 to 1.76 m and from 66.2 to 82.9 cm, respectively, with the application of the higher N rate compared with the control, while there were no significant differences between the fertilization treatments for mean seed weight. The varieties ‘Tygra’ and ‘Futura 75’ showed the highest values for all the measurement characters. Our results indicate that hemp responded well to the addition of N fertilizer.

scholarly journals Genomic and Chemical Diversity of Commercially Available High-CBD Industrial Hemp Accessions

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Johnson ◽  
Jason G. Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
High Demand ◽  
Certification Programs ◽  
Developing Seed ◽  
Chemical Profiles ◽  
Planting Materials ◽  
Industrial Hemp

High consumer demand for cannabidiol (CBD) has made high-CBD hemp (Cannabis sativa) an extremely high-value crop. However, high demand has resulted in the industry developing faster than the research, resulting in the sale of many hemp accessions with inconsistent performance and chemical profiles. These inconsistencies cause significant economic and legal problems for growers interested in producing high-CBD hemp. To determine the genetic and phenotypic consistency in available high-CBD hemp varieties, we obtained seed or clones from 22 different named accessions meant for commercial production. Genotypes (∼48,000 SNPs) and chemical profiles (% CBD and THC by dry weight) were determined for up to 8 plants per accession. Many accessions–including several with the same name–showed little consistency either genetically or chemically. Most seed-grown accessions also deviated significantly from their purported levels of CBD and THC based on the supplied certificates of analysis. Several also showed evidence of an active tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) synthase gene, leading to unacceptably high levels of THC in female flowers. We conclude that the current market for high-CBD hemp varieties is highly unreliable, making many purchases risky for growers. We suggest options for addressing these issues, such using unique names and developing seed and plant certification programs to ensure the availability of high-quality, verified planting materials.

scholarly journals Exploring the Biomethane Potential of Different Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Biomass Residues

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3361
Author(s):  
Silvio Matassa ◽  
Giovanni Esposito ◽  
Francesco Pirozzi ◽  
Stefano Papirio
Keyword(s):  
Cannabis Sativa ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Mechanical Grinding ◽  
Biochemical Methane Potential ◽  
Promising Candidate ◽  
Biomass Residues ◽  
Methane Potential ◽  
Biomethane Production ◽  
Industrial Hemp ◽  
High Biomass Yield

Industrial hemp stands out as a promising candidate for clean and sustainable biomass-to-bioenergy systems due to its multipurpose, high biomass yield and resource efficiency features. In this study, different hemp biomass residues (HBRs) were evaluated as a potential feedstock for renewable biomethane production through anaerobic digestion (AD). The biochemical methane potential (BMP) of the raw and pretreated fibers, stalks, hurds, leaves and inflorescences was investigated by means of batch anaerobic tests. The highest BMP was obtained with the raw fibers (i.e., 422 ± 20 mL CH4·g VS−1), while hemp hurds (unretted), making up more than half of the whole hemp plant dry weight, showed a lower BMP value of 239 ± 10 mL CH4·g VS−1. The alkali pretreatment of unretted hurds and mechanical grinding of retted hurds effectively enhanced the BMP of both substrates by 15.9%. The mix of leaves and inflorescences and inflorescences alone showed low BMP values (i.e., 118 ± 8 and 26 ± 5 mL CH4·g VS−1, respectively) and a prolonged inhibition of methanogenesis. The latter could be overcome through NaOH pretreatment in the mix of leaves and inflorescences (+28.5% methane production).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document