Government reopening takes ‘sledgehammer’ to hemp, CBD industries, Colorado advocates say

The U S executive began reopening this week after the longest federal shutdown in the country s history but a cohort of Coloradans aren t happy with the bill that made it happen saying it could have devastating effects on the hemp industry and businesses that rely on the sale of cannabidiol or CBD as well as come consumers On Wednesday the U S House of Representatives passed a budget bill that funds establishment operations through Jan President Donald Trump signed it following the vote Among the myriad of things it addresses the bill bans largest part hemp-derived consumable products by limiting the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC to milligrams per package Proponents of the change which is expected to take effect in one year say it aligns federal law with the intention of the Farm Bill which legalized hemp for commercial production by closing a loophole that has allowed for the proliferation of intoxicating THC edibles beverages and vapes primarily in states where marijuana remains illegal Henny Lasley executive director of Denver-based advocacy organization One Chance to Grow Up for instance announced in a declaration that closing the loophole is a critical triumph for protecting kids from the harms presented by THC And while hemp-derived products are not widely available in Colorado due to regulation the ban s impact will still be felt here opponents say Business for the state s hemp farmers for one will be negatively affected and the ban will largely decimate the country s CBD region a concern for both local manufacturers and consumer advocates They re taking a sledgehammer to the whole industry basically explained Ryan Eakes chief operating officer of Typhoon Farma a hemp cultivation in Montrose It s going to take out the good with the bad Eakes largest clients are extraction companies that purchase plants and process them for oil Last year those clients contracted to buy acres of hemp in advance a rarity Eakes disclosed enabling Typhoon Farma to double its production Due to future uncertainty those companies have not committed to purchasing any crops in The Farm Bill previously only put stipulations on THC content for hemp plants not products and established the legal limit at of the cannabinoid which causes a high Even though hemp is low in THC it can be extracted and concentrated into doses that cause intoxication Manufacturers can also create synthetic versions like Delta- from the hemp plant that achieve a high Limiting packaged products to milligrams of THC means that preponderance tinctures gummies and topicals that include other naturally occurring cannabinoids known as full spectrum products would become illegal That threshold is absolutely too low for an entire container disclosed Jared Stanley co-founder of Charlotte s Web the country s pioneering CBD company Charlotte s Web offers around to milligrams of THC per serving he disclosed The company would have to sell individual gummy wrappers and even cut gummies in half to meet the new standard Even though products made with CBD isolate meaning no THC or other cannabinoids would remain legal those account for a small fraction of Charlotte s Web s inventory The ban puts about of the company s sales at liability revealed CEO Bill Morachnick Full-spectrum products are inferred to be more efficacious because cannabinoids are more effective when working together a concept known as the entourage effect Veterinarians even suggest them for dogs despite canines being more sensitive to THC than humans This isn t a widget that if regulated improperly has no sufferers There are real people that suffer real consequences Morachnick revealed You know this is a really bad call when you see panic buying Our sales have gone up exponentially since this announcement because people are fearful Paige Figi executive director of consumer advocacy organization Coalition for Access Now called the ban absolutely unethical when considering the people who rely on CBD to treat ailments from chronic pain to seizures Figi a Colorado resident helped elevate CBD to a household name more than a decade ago when it proved to be the only remedy that quelled her daughter Charlotte s seizures Coalition for Access Now works to educate the citizens and lawmakers about the soundness benefits of CBD Charlotte s story is in large part what inspired federal regulators to legalize the commercial production of hemp The namesake of Charlotte s Web Charlotte Figi died in at age Paige Figi worries that American families like hers will suffer without access to affordable products Where are they gonna go There s no CBD black arena she commented Related Articles Colorado sober movement ditches alcohol for cannabis psychedelics Is it for real THC-infused beverages are easy to find in Colorado Our favorite spots for a beer wine or a smoke A drug made from marijuana reduced back pain in a large examination Denver weed lounges where you can legally light up The ban comes at a time when the hemp industry had just begun to stabilize Eakes noted The passage of the Farm Bill caused a green rush into hemp cultivation and Typhoon Farma opened in alongside numerous other operators hoping to capitalize on the demand for CBD The payoff however wasn t there and plenty of farmers pulled out of the industry In Colorado producers planted more than acres of hemp according to the U S Department of Agriculture By production had plummeted to acres Hemp plantings hit a low of acres in before increasing slightly to in per the USDA s latest National Hemp Document Eakes requirements to solidify his plans for the growing season by the end of November including determining the amount of labor and infrastructure he will need The hemp ban has made that extremely challenging As a producer we re trying to do things above board so we want all these bad players out of the region We think there should be sensible regulation It s just the regulation they put in this bill is not sensible at all so it s going to hurt a lot of people Eakes disclosed All we can do is cross our fingers and hope the legislators hear us Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter