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Hemp farmers in red tape


Hemp farmers said these regulations could change the hemp industry for good. (Carsyn Currier/News 10){ }
Hemp farmers said these regulations could change the hemp industry for good. (Carsyn Currier/News 10)
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Hemp farmers around Southern Oregon are focused on finishing up harvest season, and the new USDA proposed guidelines for the 2020 farming season.

Hemp farmers not compliant with new governmental regulations to keep THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, out of Oregon's new cash crop could be in for a rude awakening after harvest.

Some farmers say the price of CBD could go up, as less of the product will be found to be compliant.

News 10 spoke with Adam Harris, hemp farmer from Vesica Ventures, last week following the released regulations.

Harris said these regulations would forever change the hemp and CBD industry.

"The regulations make it to where total THC is where we are going to have to battle and keep our tolerances under. There's no genetics in the country right now that allows for that to happen, so we're going to be forced if we want to continue farming CBD to be farming in week four to week six of flower time. Where we don't typically start our harvest until week seven or eight," said Harris.

News 10 spoke to Barry Epling, Hemp Inc., today and they say that's not the case.

"We grow a smokable product, it was important for everyone to know that our product would never get them high. So we made certain that everything that we had was compliant with point .3% THC. Our product is compliant under those rules," said Epling.

Epling said they were prepared for this to happen because they wanted to be able to sell their products nationwide.

"We were looking for a product and we searched quite some time for it, to find something that would be compatible, that wouldn't go beyond the.3% THC and we paid for it. A lot of people bought seeds at 80 cents or $1.00 and we bought seeds at a $1.50 a seed," said Epling.

Although Hemp Inc. is compliant, they said they are by far the minority.

Epling said he thinks the proposed regulation would severely damage the hemp industry.

"You now have a bureaucrat who is not elected in some organization saying I'm going to override the federal government, and I'm going to rewrite the farm bill. I think it's very arrogant, I don't think they have a right to do it, and I hope the courts can put an end to that," said Epling.

Farmers suggest, anyone who wants to weigh-in on the issue, should contact their local lawmakers and industry leaders.

Farmers said you can also submit your concerns to the Hemp Farmers Association here.


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