Maine nudges USDA on hemp rules, says states ‘unfairly restricted’ without them

The governor of Maine is joining hemp producers in pushing for federal agriculture authorities to release 2020 production rules.

Gov. Janet Mills wrote to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week, saying that federal inaction on hemp is leaving states “unfairly restricted” in the new industry.

Hemp businesses, she said, are “receiving notices of bank account closures and insurance policies not being renewed because of uncertainty around federal hemp regulations.”

Mills was joined in her letter by Maine Agriculture Commissioner Amanda Beal.

The USDA has reportedly finished its proposed hemp-production rules, but they’re being held up by deliberations in the White House.

The White House Office of Management and Budget must sign off on new regulations from any federal agency.

The USDA’s hemp delays “stifle the growth and aspirations of hardworking farm businesses,” the Maine officials concluded.

To read the full letter, click here.