The Hemp Know

The last of the girls...

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The Biden administration on Friday released new guidelines that will no longer penalize political appointees for previous recreational use of ma*****na.
Under the new policy, the White House can now waive a requirement for "Top Secret" clearance for possible appointees in the Executive Office of the President who have previously used pot on a "limited" basis, NBC News reported. The waiver will only be used on a case-by-case basis and can apply to positions that do not ultimately require a security clearance.
Ma*****na use has not been made legal under federal law, though an increasing number of states and cities have moved to legalize the drug for both medical and recreational use. Biden transition officials recognized that the recreational w**d use could potentially pose an issue for prospective appointees, according to NBC.
The new policy will reportedly only apply to ma*****na, and waivers can still be withheld depending on the extent of its use. Anyone who is granted the waiver must then agree to stop pot use during the term of their government service and consent to random drug tests.
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Source: is.gd/nnK7i8

According to a January H**p Benchmarks report, leaders in the h**p industry predict that the 2021 growing season will be characterized by more stability, along with an increase in the grain and fiber sectors. 
The price for CBD biomass continues to stabilize, as prices remained steady for January, according to the H**p Benchmarks report, while rates for extracted CBD products decreased this month.
Further stability this year could be driven by the federal regulatory environment. Advocates of the industry suspect the Biden Administration may be more supportive of the developing h**p sector compared to previous administrations, which could create a more favorable regulatory environment for the h**p industry this year, H**p Benchmarks said in an email.
Additionally, the USDA issued its final rule on h**p in mid-January, which also could create a sense of stability for the h**p industry. The report states the final rule contained changes that addressed several of the industry's concerns with the previous interim final rule. The final rule will replace the USDA's interim final rule and will take effect on March 22.
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This week, H**p Grower took a deeper dive into the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA’s) final rule on h**p released January 15. The final rule made several changes from the department’s interim final rule, including: 

increasing the sampling window (the maximum amount of time allowed between sampling for testing and the planned harvest date) from 15 days to 30.

allowing states to implement “performance-based” sampling, leading to additional flexibility in procedures.

increasing the negligence level from 0.5% to 1%.

Read more about the final rule’s changes, what remained the same and how it could affect the industry here.
Industry members also explained and gave reactions to the permissible THC limit in h**p remaining at 0.3% in the final rule. They also delved into the possibilities—including potential consequences—should that limit eventually be increased at the national level. Read more
In other news, a case over a destroyed crop that was allegedly h**p in California is heating up. A federal court has issued a stay of discovery in Apothio LLC’s lawsuit against Kern County and several other defendants after the defendants countersued Apothio’s founder, Trent Jones, for allegedly growing ma*****na. Now, the two cases are becoming entangled. Read more
Chemist (OISC) is warning growers to be aware of active untrustworthy h**pseed suppliers not just in Indiana, but also throughout the country. Donald Robison, an OISC seed administrator, details what happened when one grower in the state bought seeds from a disreputable vendor. Read more
And in Texas, a court hearing on the state’s smokable h**p ban has been postponed again until March. Catch up on the case here.

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Source: is.gd/rwbfAT