Robert Celt
New Member
On Monday, December 14, Progressive 15 hosted an Industrial Hemp Expo with over 100 people attending. Sponsoring the expo were International House of Cannabis, Adams County and Washington County. Progressive 15 is recognized as a voice for northeastern Colorado. It is comprised of 15 counties and is a grassroots organization. Some of the many things they do are take positions on issues, advocate and affect legislation, advance commercial and economic interests of northeast Colorado, serve as an agent for getting things done and many other things. As they say in their brochure, Progressive 15 is non-partisan and works only on issues that enhance our economic viability and quality of life. They also do many other things, and hosting this conference was one way to get information out to farmers and others who might be interested in growing industrial hemp. Barry Gore, Chairman of the Board from Adams County Economic Development, welcomed everyone to the expo. Cathy Shull, Executive Director of Progressive 15, talked a little bit about the expo. Shull said, "You can tell how this expo is of interest. We were still getting reservations at 6:30 a.m. this morning and also late last night, December 13." The first to speak was Duane Sinning from the Colorado State Department of Ag. "In 2014, the production, harvest and sale of industrial hemp began in Colorado.
Before that we had used the Cole Memorandum, passed in 2013, and came up with some guidelines on industrial hemp for the state. The term industrial hemp means the plant of the genus cannabis and any part of the plant, such as seeds. Industrial hemp can test for no more THC than 0.3 percent, on dry weight basis," Sinning said. In the new Farm Bill that will expire in 2018, sections six and seven apply to industrial hemp. Industrial hemp sites have to register with the state. The United States Office of Drug and Crime set the 0.3 percent as the THC limit. Canada, where it is widely grown, and Australia set 0.3 percent as their limit and the European Union use 0.2 percent. Industrial hemp from an economic perspective is vital to Colorado. In 2014, there were some small markets for industrial hemp, and in 2015, we have seen more outdoor sites for hemp. Marijuana and hemp look the same and hemp is listed under cannabis. The only way to differentiate between the two is have it tested in a lab for the THC level. Three universities- CSU, CU and Adams State-are doing research on aspects of industrial hemp. More than half of the counties in Colorado have registered land areas for hemp. Hemp is used in many ways. The seeds are sold, oil is produced and is in demand. Some of the research at the universities is in biofuel. Sinning said, "As of the middle of November this year, only eight percent of the hemp tested exceeded the 0.3 percent limit, which was down from 31 percent in 2014. In the last two years, only two tests exceeded one percent for waiver consideration. There is a lot of misinformation on the web about hemp. Information on compliance rates and other information on growing hemp have significantly improved. This has not been a smooth journey and now there is an increase in the smuggling of seed." "It is necessary to comply with the Cole Memorandum and have an even playing field for everyone. In 2016, we will be looking at the rules and may get some changed in the legislature. We will be working with state institutions of higher education and we are hoping to finalize voluntary program to allow the grower himself to get his hemp tested in a private and certified MED lab, so that the state won't have to do all the testing," he added. Some people at the expo felt that hemp is problematic and that some land owners could lose their land because of the laws. One thing that is critical to the production of hemp is to have a certified seed program. The next speaker was David Bush, Esquire, who discussed the legality of hemp under federal and state laws. "The hemp industry is growing and I encourage people to get into the business. What is the law governing industrial hemp and how is the law being enforced? It is the force of the law vs law enforcement. The law is still under the constitution," Bush said. Under the International Drug Controlled Substance Act, marijuana THC is broadly defined and imposed criminal liabilities and penalties and the government decides whether someone can grow hemp. Marijuana equals hemp, is how the federal laws classify it. States may make their own rules and how they will be enforced. Kentucky sees the laws very differently and growing hemp has really grown in that state. The federal government won't interfere with state laws and they can't change state laws. The Cole Memorandum provides the rules for the states. The only part of growing hemp that is regulated in the state is the cultivation of hemp, which does not include the processing or sale of hemp. Taxes are much higher on marijuana than on hemp. Colorado is almost unique, as it is one of only a few states that have laws regarding the cultivation of hemp. As the expo was behind schedule, everyone got lunch and while they were eating, Grant Orvis, PhD, and an industrial hemp breeder discussed some of the experiments he has been doing with hemp. There is a genetic difference between marijuana and hemp. In some of his experiments, he has tried different mutations to the plant. He found that marijuana can silence the mutation and will revert back to more of the wild type state. He is involved in starting the Colorado Hemp Cooperative. Farmers would only pay for their registration in the cooperative. They could buy seeds or sell seeds and they would get kickbacks from the cooperative. Several people from different manufacturers of hemp then spoke. PureVision Technologies spoke about the fact they are involved in selling seed. Jason Robillard from US CBD Corp said he started out growing marijuana six years ago and once amendment 64 passed, which made the sale of marijuana legal in Colorado, he moved to industrial hemp. His business partners with farmers and is in the processing side of hemp. He does not grow hemp himself. David Schmitt of Hemp, Inc. is an industrial hemp manufacturer. Three farmers in the industrial hemp field then talked a little about their business. Mike Sullivan, a member of Northern Colorado Hemp Farmers, said it is very hard to find seed. Last year he produced about 600 pounds of seed and this year, he produced almost 30,000 pounds of seed. Hemp takes less water and is almost completely labor free, once it is planted. Sullivan said. "Hemp grows itself. I had 60 acres of hemp and added nitrogen when I planted and after that I hardly did anything. Once hemp grows enough and forms a canopy, there are no weeds in the fields," Sullivan said. Matt Silz said, "Hemp is a different crop and pretty well maintenance free." Bill Billings is a farmer and a co-owner of Nature Roots that works with hemp farmers. Woody Woods from the Farm Services Agency said there is no crop insurance for hemp. It is not a covered commodity. FSA also cannot do loans on any hemp production and a person who grows hemp can get no insurance of any kind through FSA. Davis Bush then spoke again on banking. The laws laid down by the federal government through the Bank Secrecy Act, passed in 1970, make it necessary that if banks deal with someone who is growing hemp or doing business with hemp. If the bank suspects anything unusual is happening, they are required to file a SAR (Suspicious Activity Report.) "The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is an organization of the Department of Treasury and are they preventing crime or making criminals. Because of the way the law is, they are treated like criminals," Bush said. Government calls hemp a controlled substance and banks have to report on suspicious activity. The FinCEN memorandum has many different parts on bank transactions. Under this memorandum, any business regarding marijuana related businesses including depositing a check for a large amount, closing an account or anything which the bank regards as suspicious, the bank has to file a SAR. There is pending reform legislation in Congress to correct some of these problems. The Cole Memorandum is a guidance regarding marijuana related financial crimes. Gary Schinderle of Golf Enviro and Soil Life Systems, a division of Golf Enviro, spoke about soil and water testing. "A balanced soil equals balanced plant. Plants do not take up soil; they take up the soil solution. This is a very important test," said Schinderle. To get ready for a test, you need to take the first three or four inches of top soil. One pint of soil is needed for the tests with no green tops. A standard soil test use mild acid extractants and measures total soil nutrients. A soil pH has nothing to do with calcium and can be influenced by water quality. A saturated paste test is here the lab uses distilled water to make a paste of the soil and then tests it for nutrients. Labs often use different testing and reporting methods on both water and soil. Water is the single largest input applied to a crop and when you have your water tested, use the same water for the test that is going on the crop. Fill a bottle to the top and make sure there is no space for air. You need to have your water tested regularly as quality can change during the time of year as well as from year to year. If your quality of water is tested as not being good, you can change to a better water source, if possible, or chemically change the existing water supply. You need to do regular soil and water testing. David Bush spoke again on the potential risks and rewards of industrial hemp farming. There is opportunity in hemp farming and it would not be unlike other farming opportunities. Opportunities include the plant, technology and market, legal reforms and the many uses of industrial hemp. Risks also include technology and markets, laws, seed quality and quantity, weather, foreign competition and research and development, which is iffy. Bush again brought up the force of the law vs. law enforcement, but said, "It is worth it." Sheriff Chad Day of Yuma County was supposed to speak, but was tied up and his Power Point presentation has been posted on Progressive 15's web site, Progressive 15 Northeast Colorado. The expo was over for the day and those who attended were able to visit with several vendors or ask more questions of the speakers. Everyone who attended received a lot of information on industrial hemp and the pros and cons of dealing with hemp.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Colorado: Progressive 15 Shines Light On Industrial Hemp
Author: Jo Anne Busing
Contact: Akron News-Reporter
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Akron News-Reporter
Before that we had used the Cole Memorandum, passed in 2013, and came up with some guidelines on industrial hemp for the state. The term industrial hemp means the plant of the genus cannabis and any part of the plant, such as seeds. Industrial hemp can test for no more THC than 0.3 percent, on dry weight basis," Sinning said. In the new Farm Bill that will expire in 2018, sections six and seven apply to industrial hemp. Industrial hemp sites have to register with the state. The United States Office of Drug and Crime set the 0.3 percent as the THC limit. Canada, where it is widely grown, and Australia set 0.3 percent as their limit and the European Union use 0.2 percent. Industrial hemp from an economic perspective is vital to Colorado. In 2014, there were some small markets for industrial hemp, and in 2015, we have seen more outdoor sites for hemp. Marijuana and hemp look the same and hemp is listed under cannabis. The only way to differentiate between the two is have it tested in a lab for the THC level. Three universities- CSU, CU and Adams State-are doing research on aspects of industrial hemp. More than half of the counties in Colorado have registered land areas for hemp. Hemp is used in many ways. The seeds are sold, oil is produced and is in demand. Some of the research at the universities is in biofuel. Sinning said, "As of the middle of November this year, only eight percent of the hemp tested exceeded the 0.3 percent limit, which was down from 31 percent in 2014. In the last two years, only two tests exceeded one percent for waiver consideration. There is a lot of misinformation on the web about hemp. Information on compliance rates and other information on growing hemp have significantly improved. This has not been a smooth journey and now there is an increase in the smuggling of seed." "It is necessary to comply with the Cole Memorandum and have an even playing field for everyone. In 2016, we will be looking at the rules and may get some changed in the legislature. We will be working with state institutions of higher education and we are hoping to finalize voluntary program to allow the grower himself to get his hemp tested in a private and certified MED lab, so that the state won't have to do all the testing," he added. Some people at the expo felt that hemp is problematic and that some land owners could lose their land because of the laws. One thing that is critical to the production of hemp is to have a certified seed program. The next speaker was David Bush, Esquire, who discussed the legality of hemp under federal and state laws. "The hemp industry is growing and I encourage people to get into the business. What is the law governing industrial hemp and how is the law being enforced? It is the force of the law vs law enforcement. The law is still under the constitution," Bush said. Under the International Drug Controlled Substance Act, marijuana THC is broadly defined and imposed criminal liabilities and penalties and the government decides whether someone can grow hemp. Marijuana equals hemp, is how the federal laws classify it. States may make their own rules and how they will be enforced. Kentucky sees the laws very differently and growing hemp has really grown in that state. The federal government won't interfere with state laws and they can't change state laws. The Cole Memorandum provides the rules for the states. The only part of growing hemp that is regulated in the state is the cultivation of hemp, which does not include the processing or sale of hemp. Taxes are much higher on marijuana than on hemp. Colorado is almost unique, as it is one of only a few states that have laws regarding the cultivation of hemp. As the expo was behind schedule, everyone got lunch and while they were eating, Grant Orvis, PhD, and an industrial hemp breeder discussed some of the experiments he has been doing with hemp. There is a genetic difference between marijuana and hemp. In some of his experiments, he has tried different mutations to the plant. He found that marijuana can silence the mutation and will revert back to more of the wild type state. He is involved in starting the Colorado Hemp Cooperative. Farmers would only pay for their registration in the cooperative. They could buy seeds or sell seeds and they would get kickbacks from the cooperative. Several people from different manufacturers of hemp then spoke. PureVision Technologies spoke about the fact they are involved in selling seed. Jason Robillard from US CBD Corp said he started out growing marijuana six years ago and once amendment 64 passed, which made the sale of marijuana legal in Colorado, he moved to industrial hemp. His business partners with farmers and is in the processing side of hemp. He does not grow hemp himself. David Schmitt of Hemp, Inc. is an industrial hemp manufacturer. Three farmers in the industrial hemp field then talked a little about their business. Mike Sullivan, a member of Northern Colorado Hemp Farmers, said it is very hard to find seed. Last year he produced about 600 pounds of seed and this year, he produced almost 30,000 pounds of seed. Hemp takes less water and is almost completely labor free, once it is planted. Sullivan said. "Hemp grows itself. I had 60 acres of hemp and added nitrogen when I planted and after that I hardly did anything. Once hemp grows enough and forms a canopy, there are no weeds in the fields," Sullivan said. Matt Silz said, "Hemp is a different crop and pretty well maintenance free." Bill Billings is a farmer and a co-owner of Nature Roots that works with hemp farmers. Woody Woods from the Farm Services Agency said there is no crop insurance for hemp. It is not a covered commodity. FSA also cannot do loans on any hemp production and a person who grows hemp can get no insurance of any kind through FSA. Davis Bush then spoke again on banking. The laws laid down by the federal government through the Bank Secrecy Act, passed in 1970, make it necessary that if banks deal with someone who is growing hemp or doing business with hemp. If the bank suspects anything unusual is happening, they are required to file a SAR (Suspicious Activity Report.) "The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is an organization of the Department of Treasury and are they preventing crime or making criminals. Because of the way the law is, they are treated like criminals," Bush said. Government calls hemp a controlled substance and banks have to report on suspicious activity. The FinCEN memorandum has many different parts on bank transactions. Under this memorandum, any business regarding marijuana related businesses including depositing a check for a large amount, closing an account or anything which the bank regards as suspicious, the bank has to file a SAR. There is pending reform legislation in Congress to correct some of these problems. The Cole Memorandum is a guidance regarding marijuana related financial crimes. Gary Schinderle of Golf Enviro and Soil Life Systems, a division of Golf Enviro, spoke about soil and water testing. "A balanced soil equals balanced plant. Plants do not take up soil; they take up the soil solution. This is a very important test," said Schinderle. To get ready for a test, you need to take the first three or four inches of top soil. One pint of soil is needed for the tests with no green tops. A standard soil test use mild acid extractants and measures total soil nutrients. A soil pH has nothing to do with calcium and can be influenced by water quality. A saturated paste test is here the lab uses distilled water to make a paste of the soil and then tests it for nutrients. Labs often use different testing and reporting methods on both water and soil. Water is the single largest input applied to a crop and when you have your water tested, use the same water for the test that is going on the crop. Fill a bottle to the top and make sure there is no space for air. You need to have your water tested regularly as quality can change during the time of year as well as from year to year. If your quality of water is tested as not being good, you can change to a better water source, if possible, or chemically change the existing water supply. You need to do regular soil and water testing. David Bush spoke again on the potential risks and rewards of industrial hemp farming. There is opportunity in hemp farming and it would not be unlike other farming opportunities. Opportunities include the plant, technology and market, legal reforms and the many uses of industrial hemp. Risks also include technology and markets, laws, seed quality and quantity, weather, foreign competition and research and development, which is iffy. Bush again brought up the force of the law vs. law enforcement, but said, "It is worth it." Sheriff Chad Day of Yuma County was supposed to speak, but was tied up and his Power Point presentation has been posted on Progressive 15's web site, Progressive 15 Northeast Colorado. The expo was over for the day and those who attended were able to visit with several vendors or ask more questions of the speakers. Everyone who attended received a lot of information on industrial hemp and the pros and cons of dealing with hemp.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Colorado: Progressive 15 Shines Light On Industrial Hemp
Author: Jo Anne Busing
Contact: Akron News-Reporter
Photo Credit: None found
Website: Akron News-Reporter
