West Virginia Department of Agriculture revising hemp sampling protocols

As stated in the 2018 Farm bill the analysis method should measure Delta 9 THC. The analysis method used should be high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC is a highly reliable and scientifically approved method of testing for ∆9 THC. It is, in fact, the most reliable method. the 2018 Farm Bill uses the term “delta-9 THC”. It would have been easy enough for Congress to use these terms (or even simply “THC”) rather than “delta-9” had they intended for THCA be a factor in determining the legal status of a hemp plant. Yet, they did not use these terms. Consequently, the concentrations of THCA in a hemp plant are irrelevant to its legal status

I pray our Legislators listen to the actual investors in the growing, processing and selling of our amazing product--HEMP.

I agree with WVHIA's proposed changes.

Dear Commissioner Leonhardt, The Hemp Industry has the potential to not only be a huge economic boon to the WV but to allow WV to be on the cutting edge of a booming industry. This is our chance to be first in an industry that will help our farmers and our state, and may even help address our opiod crisis. The Department of Agriculture's full support is very important to the success of current and future hemp farmers. I, and my voting family members and friends and fellow hemp farmers are counting on you for your support. WV has a chance to be a national leader in something positive here. We hope you will help to move us in this direction, by adopting the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's sampling protocols. Kentucky is a national leader in hemp production and is receiving benefits that WV is missing. Please help us help each other and all West Virginian's by facilitating policies that are hemp-farmer friendly.

This should be an opportunity for you to return WV to the best hemp laws and rules in the nation. Please don't hesitate to let us all know you care about your farmer's livelihood and allow us to compete with our neighbor states with clear, simple, intelligent, inexpensive, achievable guidance.

I support the proposed changes. WV must be willing to change and be willing to support small farms.

We are clearly at risk with the current testing protocols, especially while the Farm Bill asserts " Whole Plant" testing - This provides the best chance for passage of a test that is essentially based on arbitrary and capricious THC levels to begin with - It appears that West Virginia has gone from having the Best Hemp Laws and Rules in the Nation to quite possibly the worst. The inconvenient truth is simple: Cannabis has been WV's #1 Cash Crop for well over 4 decades - When AG Hemp and Medical Cannabis is added into the calculations, the total numbers get really impressive - All projections indicate the Cannabis Industry as a whole will be worth 10's of billions of dollars within a few short years - If WV expects to compete, then these overly restrictive and suppressive testing protocols must be revised immediately along with a host of other ill advised procedures - Quality is our foremost concern - Our CUSTOMERS must be delighted and completely satisfied with their purchases of WV Hemp products, biomass, and flower - More focus on the CUSTOMER = Less focus on being backwards ...

Make this work for the hemp farmers.

As a WV farmer I support the proposed changes to help our hemp industry grow. Burden associated with the existing sampling protocol is one reason I have not yet started growing hemp in WV.

Please help small farmers and entrepreneurs by making the needed changes to our fledgling hemp industry. By setting the regulatory framework straight now, farmers and businesses can compete with neighboring states and create important jobs and revenue for our state.

I also would recommend removal of all registration for manufacturers and sellers requirements for products in its entirety. This is burdensome and limits marketability. It creates an unfair marketability for wv companies. It is certainly an over regulation that is not needed.

I agree with the proposed changes. I also would recommend removal of all registration for manufacturers and sellers requirements for products in its entirety. This is burdensome and limits marketability. It creates an unfair marketability for wv companies. Ex: retailers in every venue carry hemp based products. Tjmax currently has 27 products on their shelves. Walmart has 18 products that were located in the Crosslanes location. Even ulta has three products. It would be impossible to expect everyone to register every product and create an unnecessary cost and burden to the marketability of products. It is certainly an over regulation that is not needed.

Proper regulation is vital to the emerging market in our beautiful state.

I agree with WVHIA's proposed changes.

The WV DEPT of Ag NEEDS to change this. Many people will go bankrupt and the hemp industry will die in our state of the regulations aren’t changed. The state NEEDS all the growing business and industry we can get.

The race is on. WVDA has started us out the gate, helping our farmers set the pace for our farming partners in surrounding states. Don’t hobble us now by adopting unreasonable regulation.

I support the measures of this petition. There must be a unified acceptable standard, which all individuals in this industry can follow

We must adopt similar sampling protocols as Kentucky

Legislation that causes harm to an industry with the potential to benefit so many would be a tragedy for our already disadvantaged state. Imagine the whole state testing “hot” and the news generated from it? Farmers would be speaking out to the fact the testing protocol is business prohibitive. That our state would not have had those results if we had followed the experience of a nearby and successful state. It would demonstrate the legislature was foolish and ignorant in trying to reinvent the wheel and the result decimated a potential new market industry for WV. A renewable and sustainable crop. An environmentally friendly product. A medicine. We need to remain competitive in this market. If adjacent states are able to do this for less and with less hassle, their collective price points will be significantly less and products more appealing. WV needs to break away from “craft” niches for a tourist stop and into a fully reliable mass production product and industry. Please consider the greater wisdom of our surrounding competitors who are successfully preparing their states for this sustainable and renewable resource industry and strongly take into advisement the input from my fellow farmers. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment on this matter and for your serious consideration.

Over-Regulation is not conducive to a thriving Hemp industry within West Virginia and puts us at a significant disadvantage as an agricultural player on the national level. We need to be able to compete on a fair level as the industry grows.