MJBizMag November-December 2021 - 14

HempNotebook | Kristen Nichols
Red-Tape Runaround
C
onsumers are all in on organic
growing.
They know organic farming is
kinder to the Earth, and they're willing
to pay a premium for goods that require
less use of fossil fuels. It's a win-win.
So why are federal regulators so
clueless about encouraging the very
farming practices that consumers
want?
Paperwork Before Progress
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
regulates use of the " organic " label
on foods and consumer products.
USDA organic oversight is a great
thing for consumers because it
reduces dishonest greenwashing from
manufacturers and gives everyone
a common understanding of the
benchmarks that make a product
organic.
The USDA now has an important role
to play in the public's desire to address
global warming. USDA leadership
recognizes agriculture's role in solving
the problem, and it is taking action to
assist.
This explains why the agency patted
itself on the back last year, when it set
up a new program to encourage organic
farming by allowing farmers to seek up
to $500 in credits toward applying for
organic certification.
This sounds great-until you think
about it.
The USDA charges for organic
certification. Elaborate paperwork is
involved.
The agency easily could have
encouraged more organic applications
by lowering its own fees by $500.
Instead, it created a new program with
a new application and gave both itself
and would-be organic farmers more
paperwork to manage.
It's comical, really. Government
makes itself a punchline by assuming
that the solution to every problem is
more forms and paperwork.
A Matter of Time
The cannabis industry is full of
innovators who are frequently more
interested in meeting consumer
demand than following the law. This is
true at all levels of the THC spectrum.
So, I hope marijuana operators are
watching closely to see how government
bureaucracy stymies innovation for
legal, low-THC hemp cultivators and the
broader farm industry.
Everyone knows the United States
will eventually legalize marijuana. The
argument for prohibition has been
so thoroughly debunked at this point
that even the biggest marijuana critics
realize federal legalization is a matter of
when, not if.
But whenever and however marijuana
legalization happens, an even bigger
job awaits the industry. And that job
The USDA says it wants to encourage organic production, but it's going about it all wrong
is crafting government regulations
that protect consumer safety without
stifling business innovation or creating
needless red tape, as in the USDA's
organic " discount. "
Pushing Back
It's no secret that anyone who wants
to do business in marijuana needs
lawyers and compliance consultants.
State and local governments have
piled a staggering amount of red tape
and regulation on an industry that
is, frankly, too thrilled to be legal to
complain.
Luckily, complaining is what farmers
do best. (I say this with love!) Let's
hope the hemp industry takes the lead
in pushing back against even wellintentioned
government programs that
turn into bureaucratic headaches.
Kristen Nichols covers hemp for
MJBizMagazine. Reach her at
kristen.nichols@hempindustrydaily.com.
Government makes itself a punchline
by assuming that the solution to every
problem is more forms and paperwork. "
14 MJBizMagazine | November-December 2021
MJBizMag November-December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag November-December 2021
