Hemp farmers say the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revoking their licenses for growing state-legal cannabis.
Vermont hemp and cannabis farmer Sam Bellavance recently told local newspaper Seven Days that the USDA sent him a letter in March ordering him to surrender either his federal hemp license or his state cannabis license.
The email reportedly clarified that licensed hemp farmers are not allowed to produce marijuana. According to the 2018 Farm Bill, “hemp” is defined as cannabis that has less than 0.3 percent Delta-9 THC by dry weight.
Many Vermont hemp farmers reportedly pivoted to marijuana after the state legalized adult-use sales and the demand for CBD dropped. If the feds continue to go after these farmers, many may leave the hemp industry altogether.
It’s unclear if the USDA has targeted any other farmers; Bellavance may have been the first.
Out-Of-State Mushroom Patients Flock to Oregon
Oregon’s legal psilocybin clinics have been treating dozens of out-of-state patients who have traveled long distances to take the drug legally.
While the state keeps records of psilocybin patients confidential, businesses have reported that the majority of participants have come from other states. Some claimed that as much as 80 percent of their clients came from outside Oregon.
Oregon was the first state to legalize psilocybin mushroom treatment in 2020. According to the Oregon Capital Chronicle, “hundreds” of people have accessed the treatment since the first psilocybin clinic opened in June, and thousands of people are on waiting lists.
Industry insiders said a single psilocybin therapy session can cost between $1,000 and $3,000. The state has licensed 17 service centers and issued 540 permits to industry workers.
Weed Plus Tobacco May Equal Lung Damage
A new study has found that people who smoke both tobacco and weed are much more likely to develop emphysema.
The study’s findings were recently presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America by Canadian researchers who found that people who combined weed and tobacco were 12 times more likely to develop centrilobular emphysema than non-smokers. The researchers looked at chest CT images of four patient groups to collect the data: non-smokers, cigarette smokers, marijuana smokers and combined marijuana and cigarette smokers.
Centrilobular emphysema is a type of pulmonary emphysema in which the lungs’ air sacs are damaged. The disease can lead to serious respiratory issues and make it difficult to breathe.
Combined marijuana and cigarette smokers were also three to four times more likely to have airway wall thickening—a symptom that was not present with people who only smoked either weed or cigarettes.
“There is a common public misconception that marijuana smoking is not harmful,” said study co-author Jessie Kang in a news release. “More research needs to be done in this area, so the public can make an informed decision on their recreational usage of marijuana.”