The agency announced Wednesday it would hold an April 19 public hearing to discuss rules for cannabis and hemp growing, as well as regulations for newly legalized CBD oil.
‘We don’t really know what it’s going to look like’ said agency spokesman Jack Wilbur. ‘All we have are the words in the legislation.'”
This development is based on the passage of #HB195, #HB197, and #HB302.
“Wilbur cautioned that the public comment beginning at 8:30am on April 19 at the State Office Building would be limited to the rules for those particular bills. People can ask to speak by emailing agriculture@utah.gov.
Lawmakers passed the bills ahead of a ballot initiative on medical cannabis poised to get before voters in November. The Dept. of Agriculture and Food said it did not know what the ballot initiative could do to their rule-making process, if it were to pass.”
Our initial take is that some of whatever is decided will be superseded by the provisions of the Initiative, if enacted by the public, but parts concerning CBD may go forward.
There may also be some benefit of the state simply beginning to come to terms with the fact that legal cannabis is going to soon be being grown and processed in Utah in quantity. Not under the state’s ownership, we trust, but certainly with the state’s oversight and regulation. So we’re hoping some actual good comes out of this development.
There are other interesting aspects in the linked story, e.g., about how the mayor of West Wendover is viewing developments here as his city makes its plans for rolling out cannabis businesses and more.
Highly recommended, and a shout out to Fox13’s Ben Winslow for a number of very informative and balanced articles on the medicinal cannabis in Utah story he’s been authoring.
More:
“Farmers will be allowed to apply to grow industrialized hemp, and there will be inspection and labeling standards for CBD oil.
‘This will help us establish that ability to license, test and label those products so what you see is what you get,’ Wilbur said of CBD oil sales in Utah.”
We agree in part – just not with a state monopoly and limited product choice. We also note that full spectrum medicinal cannabis plants would be a much better source for CBD medicines than hemp.
OTOH, some hemp strains are being being bred for high CBD (and hopefully other beneficial cannabinoid and terpene content). In any case, this is the start of a new and unpredictable journey down a new road for Utah which we hope will truly benefit patients…
#MMJ #Farming #Monopoly #CBD #UTpol #NVpol #UtahNext #TRUCE
See full article – The state of Utah is getting in the marijuana business
