The recent rule re-emphasized an earlier USDA ruling that interstate transportation of hemp is legal, even if the shipment goes through a state that does not allow hemp cultivation. States that already allowed industrial hemp programs continued to consider policies related to licensing, funding, seed certification, and other issues. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the responsible federal regulatory agency for overseeing the cultivation of hemp. The rule does not impose restrictions on the sale, transportation or possession of hemp-derived products, provided that those items are produced in a manner consistent with the law. You may also be interested to know that hemp seeds have important qualities for curing constipation, as studies have shown.
Henry Ford designed a car panel using plastic derived from straw, pine, hemp and ramie to help farmers during the Great Depression. According to an August report, several provisions of the Farm Bill include changes to existing provisions of agricultural legislation to include hemp. The North American Industrial Hemp Council estimates that hemp can be used to make more than 25,000 products, from the paper pages of the Bible to building materials for homes. In recent years, state legislatures have taken steps to establish state-authorized hemp programs and promote hemp as an agricultural product. Although both hemp and marijuana products are species of the cannabis plant, hemp is usually distinguished by its lower concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Licensed hemp producers must declare the planted area along with their license number to the local FSA office. However, the new Farm Bill does not create a completely free system in which individuals or companies can grow hemp whenever and wherever they want. Growers can now purchase coverage if they have a contract for the purchase of insured hemp and comply with all applicable state, tribal and federal regulations. The Drug Enforcement Administration has granted several dozen permits to grow hemp in nine states. It is important to note that hemp does not make you get high and that the debate about the war on drugs that spread over hemp was politically motivated, rather than policy-oriented.
Last week, Bruce Dietzen drove from Florida to Colorado in a deep red convertible made of hemp.