House Extends 2018 Farm Bill, USDA Tells Food Safety Workers To Avoid CBD & THC Products & More

US House Extends 2018 Farm Bill For One Year 

The House approved a spending bill that includes an extension for the 2018 Farm Bill. A short-term funding bill is now heading to the Senate, which is expected to quickly pass and then be sent on to President Biden to sign into law before the deadline, writes The Gazette. This extends all programs at levels provided in the 2018 Farm Bill through Sept. 30, 2024.

The news comes several weeks after a ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator John Boozman (R) suggested that a congressional farm bill might need a deadline extension.

It’s been five years since Donald Trump signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Act 2018), which effectively legalized hemp and hemp-derived products on the federal level. Under the bill, hemp is considered to have only 0.3% delta 9 THC. What about products derived from hemp, are they regulated as food? Are they considered supplements? These are only some of the questions that are important to those in the hemp and cannabis industries highlighting the need for updated legislation. The Farm Bill covers many more commodities than hemp, which is why lawmakers agreed that an extension is the right action. 

“As negotiations on funding the government progress, we were able to come together to avoid a lapse in funding for critical agricultural programs and provide certainty to producers,” Senators Stabenow, Boozman, Thompson and Scott stated. “This extension is in no way a substitute for passing a 5-year Farm Bill and we remain committed to working together to get it done next year.”

USDA Advises Food Safety Workers To Avoid Consuming CBD & THC Products 

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) warned food safety workers to be cautious and avoid using marijuana products, including federally legal CBD, because the agency noticed a rise in positive THC tests, reported Marijuana Moment. The USDA stressed that there’s “confusion around state-by-state legalization changes and the rapidly expanding availability of cannabis products.”

“Using Cannabidiol (CBD) oils and cannabis-derived products comes with a risk of a positive urine drug test, even when product labels state that they contain no THC,” the department's notice reads. “In fact, there has been a noticeable uptick in cases of Federal employees failing drug tests throughout the United States. In some situations, these failed drug tests resulted in corrective actions, including suspensions or loss of employment for federal employees.”

Montana: Judge Approves 60-Day Injunction Halting Collection Of Higher Cannabis Fees

A district court judge recently approved a 60-day preliminary injunction halting Montana regulators from collecting higher fees from businesses that run multiple cannabis dispensaries across the state, reported the Daily Montanan.

Earlier this year, House Bill 903, sponsored by Rep. Mike Hopkins was approved amending HB 701's moratorium start date, but also imposing a cumulative $5,000 fee per additional location annually to renew the licenses for stores run by licensed cannabis operators.

Under state law, the Montana Department of Revenue cannot impose fees or taxes higher than needed to support regulating the state’s cannabis industry. Three cannabis companies challenged the increased fee structure with an initial lawsuit filed in August.

See Also: Michigan And Montana Marijuana Scandals, NH Sales Commission Updates And Farming Survey

Texas: Hub City Votes On Decriminalization Of Low-Level Personal Pot Use In May

This week the Lubbock City Council voted to send an ordinance that would decriminalize low-level personal cannabis use to Hub City voters in May, writes Everything Lubbock. The action comes after local lawmakers rejected the measure in a 0-7 vote after it had collected enough signatures to be considered.

“The heart of our ordinance is pretty simple,” said Adam Hernandez, communications chair for Lubbock Compact. “We just don’t think people should go to jail for personal use of marijuana in Lubbock.” He added that since this is an issue that affects many people, the decision should go to the voters.

Maryland: First Round For Adult-Use Cannabis Licenses Opened For Social Equity Applicants

This week, Maryland regulators have finally opened the first round of applications for new adult-use cannabis dispensary, cultivation and processing licenses, reported Marijuana Moment. Only social equity businesses are allowed to apply for these licenses, as the first round is reserved for them.

It is expected that this will more than double the number of retailers in Maryland, where at the moment, only medical marijuana operators that have been upgraded to dual licenses are selling recreational marijuana.

See Also: Maryland's Green Rush With $55M In Weed Sales, Hemp Cultivators Sue Alaska And More Cannabis Regs

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from Wikimedia Commons and Joel Muniz via Unsplash