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Lawmakers hear hemp industry briefing: standards, costs, remediation and processing needs
Summary
The House Agriculture Affairs Committee received an informational briefing on Idaho's industrial hemp program from Idaho Farm Bureau, ISDA, growers and processors. Speakers highlighted Idaho's stricter THC standards (0.3%), high program fees, remediation challenges for fiber growers, and the need to support processing infrastructure and research.
The House Agriculture Affairs Committee heard an informational update on industrial hemp from the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and industry participants, who outlined regulatory requirements, production experience and market prospects.
"House Bill 126 legalized the production, processing, research, and transportation of industrial hemp in the state of Idaho," said Rayne Jensen of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, explaining the program's origin and that the presentation was for information only. Chanel Tewalt, director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, said Idaho's program follows the 2018 federal farm bill but is stricter in key respects: "Idaho is much more stringent than the federal standard, even in the Farm Bill," she said, and noted Idaho's on-farm THC limit is 0.3 percent compared with the federal 1 percent threshold for enforcement.
Tewalt described the program's requirements and costs. Licensing requires background checks and fingerprinting consistent with USDA expectations; the state administers…
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