Executive Summary: In June 2019, the Midwest Hemp Council joined small business owners in Indiana to challenge the criminalization of craft hemp flower in federal court. The U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the hemp industry and prohibited the enforcement of the statute criminalizing the production, sale and possession of craft hemp flower. This favorable ruling was appealed to the Seventh Circuit. Unfortunately, the Seventh Circuit inexplicably ignored the industry’s strongest argument and the one on which the U.S. District Court relied on to issue its injunction against the state—individual states do not have the authority to pick and choose what is legal coming off of the hemp plant, so long as the product is below .3% THC. This unfavorable order came out in July 2020 and resulted in the state being permitted to enforce the criminalization of craft hemp flower in Indiana. On Monday, May 24, 2021, after a nearly two-year battle in the federal court systems, plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the case without prejudice. This means that if the regulatory or enforcement environment changes in Indiana, the door is still open if there is an interest in refiling the case.

It’s no secret the hemp industry continues to work through various choke points whether it’s the weather, bad genetics or limited access to proper banking channels. Despite these challenges, Hoosier farmers and small business owners continue to be optimistic about the future of the industry. The playbook for improving economic opportunity in the whole hemp plant economy is multi-faceted. To match the scale of what is needed and to make regional markets work better for more people, we must continue to educate our regulators, our lawmakers and other stakeholders with unified messages. And that’s exactly what has been happening in Indiana.

Join us for two days of networking and learning at CBD Expo Midwest, happening April 9 and 10 at the Indianapolis Marriott East. The event offers something for everyone - choose from thought provoking panels and exciting activities. Discover the cutting edge of research and medicine. Brush up on regulation and compliance. Fine-tune your marketing skills and improve sales under the guidance of industry experts. We'll be there, so come and see us:

• Visit MHC in the Expo Hall - we'll be at booth 11 and MHC members Adams Independent Testing will be in booth 32.
• Join MHC President Justin Swanson and members Joe Linne, Hoosier Hempster Dispensary, and Greg Kruger, DREEM Nutrition, for a panel on challenges and opportunities in retail and wholesale at 3:15 p.m. on Friday.
• Join MHC member Austin Rhodus, DREEM Nutrition, for a panel discussion on terpenes at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
• MHC member Dr. Dan Silva of Midwest Hemp Testing Services will take part in a panel discussion on creating novel CBD formulations on Friday. He will also take part in a panel discussion on cutting edge cannabinoid science and host a Center Stage presentation on identifying effective cannabinoids on Saturday.
• MHC member Dr. Richard Sams of KCA Laboratories will participate in a panel discussion on minor cannabinoids at 10:15 on Saturday and a panel on the cutting edge of cannabinoid science immediately following.
• Joe Linne will also participate in a panel discussion on CBD regulations in the Midwest at 1:30 on Saturday.

HB 1224 was heard in the Senate Committee on Commerce and Technology yesterday. The Committee did not take a vote yesterday, and we need your help to get it on the committee agenda for Thursday. MHC President Justin Swanson offered the following statement on yesterday’s hearing and the importance of HB1224 for the whole hemp plant economy in Indiana:

Indiana members! This is it! HB 1224 will be scheduled for a hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 5, in the Senate Committee on Commerce and Technology. We need all of you to consistently contact the committee members and ask that they vote “Yes” on HB 1224. Their contact information can be found below. This bill will not pass unless you help educate Senators on why this bill is so important to you as a farmer, business or consumer. Currently, craft hemp flower is free to move in “continuous transit” in Indiana - so long as an Indiana farmer didn’t grow it, an Indiana business didn’t sell it and an Indiana consumer didn’t possess it.

The House Committee on Commerce, Small Business and Economic Development took testimony on HB 1224 on January 25, 2021. The bill will be scheduled for a final committee vote early next week and we need your help.

• extending the harvesting window to 30 days
• improving sampling requirements
• allowing remediation
• raising the negligence threshold from .5% THC to 1% THC.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Office of Indiana State Chemist (OISC) is warning the public about predatory hemp seed vendors known to be currently active in the state.

Midwest Hemp Council’s 2021 Hemp at the Crossroads conference, originally scheduled for February 4-5, 2021, has been postponed until December 1-3, 2021.

Heartland Hemp Coop today announces the launch of its member-owned cooperative, focused on building a seed-to-shelf supply chain for hemp farmers in the Midwest. The coop will focus on the production and processing of hemp for fiber. 

Green Sense Farms is seeking an enthusiastic, tech-savvy sales person to join our hemp propagation team! Responsibilities will include generating new leads, qualifying suspects and developing hot prospects into sales. This will include, internet searches (LinkedIn, Facebook, State Hemp Associations, Farmer Co-Ops) networking, and maintaining contracts, customer files, and manage customer database for tracking communication.

After establishing the Midwest Hemp Council Animal Feed Committee and forming a partnership with the Hemp Feed Coalition, exciting progress is being made in unifying the HFC’s vision with MHC membership.

As a complement to today's podcast episode, featuring Commercial Director Ryan Bellone, KCA labs created this handy guide to reading and understanding a certificate of analysis.