The USDA Approves Colorado’s New Hemp Plan, What Does This Mean For Other States?

The term “approval,” when used to refer to any cannabis discourse in America, always gets a lot of attention. This is because marijuana enthusiasts want more states to legally approve marijuana for personal and commercial use. There are many petitions calling for legal approval of hemp plants.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave its approval 18 months after receiving a hemp plan from the state’s Department of Agriculture. The process may have been long, with many reworks, but the final approval means a lot to the Colorado marijuana community.

The submission process

The Colorado Department of Agriculture presented its hemp plan to the USDA after the USDA released a tentative final ruling on hemp. Then, in 2020, the USDA gave its response to Colorado, requesting a revision of the plan.

Regardless of the state of preparation by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the state cannot have its own legal hemp management plan without obtaining approval from the USDA. So, it’s important for states to review their plans and make sure they meet all guidelines for the 2022 planting season.

The USDA was ready to extend its federal licenses to individual farmers in states with their bespoke programs like Mississippi; it required Colorado to make its own plan. To create this plan, Colorado must go through its Department of Agriculture or other related agencies.

Colorado’s first draft was submitted in June, and both agencies have been going back and forth since then. State Department of Agriculture’s industrial hemp program manager Brian Koontz claims the state worked on his plan for five years by partnering with experts in the hemp industry.

The state is keen to grow its hemp industry, and this hemp management plan is the first concrete step they have taken to cement the future of hemp in the state.

Colorado’s earliest attempts

This approval means a lot to the Colorado Department of Agriculture team, as they have been working on it since 2014 when they launched a pilot program. Starting in 2014, the pilot program expanded and that became the catalyst for today’s celebrated approval.

In nearly six years, the program has grown and scaled its production, leading to the introduction of a certified seed program and diversified supply chain. With additional growth at an encouraging pace, the program also resulted in the establishment of a statewide “Hemp Competence Center” to support the research, education, and outreach that will fuel the Colorado hemp industry.

The state’s hemp management plan also aims to provide cannabis growers with precise details about procedures and practices that will enable them to comply with federal ethics. The goal here is to ensure that Colorado’s hemp industry thrives and competes with other hemp and cannabis-related sectors in the country.

How Colorado’s cannabis sector is thriving

The Colorado Department of Agriculture worked well with the USDA to create a plan that would give the state’s hemp producers great flexibility. This flexibility also means that the hemp farmers meet all federal criteria.

The state has also consulted stakeholders in the cannabis and hemp industry to put their hemp sector in order. From producers to policy experts, researchers, and even the public, no stone unturned has been left to ensure that everyone within the hemp community has been consulted.

In early 2021, the USDA issued its final hemp ruling, replacing its Interim Final Rule (IFR). The final regulation and the government-approved plan are expected to begin on January 1, 2022, according to the announcement, while some other regulations have already been made.

How USDA Approval Is Boosting Colorado’s Hemp Industry

Currently, Colorado is an “undisputed leader” in the marijuana sector, and its hemp management plan has become a model for America. Hemp is also a versatile plant that offers economic benefits to any state willing to realize its enormous potential.

Supporting this industry means creating jobs for the agricultural sector and providing unrestricted access to sources of income, thereby increasing the state’s cash reserve. But it doesn’t stop with the hemp plant as a crop: Colorado wants to see how hemp can go on as food, fuel, and other things, while also being a guaranteed source of income for community farms.

When the state released its USDA approval announcement, it also included a statement from famous American musician Willie Nelson. Nelson is also a cannabis activist who claims Colorado should be “proud” to be a leading force in the hemp industry. Colorado breaks ground and leads the indictment, meaning its residents will soon be reaping the benefits of hemp.

The hemp industry has a market size of $ 5.33 billion as of 2020 and a sales forecast for 2027 of $ 15.26 billion. The industry has a growth rate of 15.8% from 2020-2027, which means it is on another growth path that will benefit all who invest.

While some other states are still grappling with their USDA approvals and some are trying to get their hemp programs up and running, Colorado has made huge strides. One of the advantages of a state that is a leading force in the cannabis and hemp world is that it can attract investors.

With hemp investors, verifiable breeders, USDA support, and a ready market for hemp products, the state of Colorado will show America how successful they can be with a solid hemp industry.

Bottom line

Like many other states in America, Colorado is keen to maximize all the benefits of the hemp industry, but to accomplish this feat they need to make sure they have ticked all of the correct state boxes. At the top of the list of boxes to check is USDA approval, which means nothing can stand in their way now.

Although the market still has to grow so that producers and producers benefit and the state government generates income, this approval is only just beginning. As Colorado gets it right with its hemp industry, other states will be inspired to do the same.

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