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Hawaii Hemp Program Delayed by Noncompliant Seeds

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Plans were steadily moving forward in Hawaii for its statewide hemp program. However, a major setback occurred when the state was forced to destroy noncompliant seeds.

According to West Hawaii Today, a shipment of cannabis seeds from Jamaica had to be destroyed in October, as they were not suitable for use in growing hemp. The original plan was for the Department of Hemp to start granting permits in January so that the industry could move forward. However, due to the setback, it will probably be closer to February before any permits are issued.

However, there was a good reason for destroying the Jamaican seeds. The shipment did not pass basic inspection, so it was instead turned over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be destroyed. “If they had actually been really good seeds, then it would have been a bummer,” Shelley Choy, coordinator of the hemp program, told West Hawaii Today. “But it definitely set us back a bit.”

Hawaii has now purchased some Chinese seeds to replace the Jamaican seeds it originally obtained, but they are currently undergoing testing to see if they will be suitable for use in a tropical environment. If everything goes well from here on out, the program is now estimated to start in late February at the earliest. However, Choy is still hopeful about the future of the hemp program in Hawaii. “I think there’s going to be a lot of interest in the program from a range of different people,” he explained.

Hawaii has already been doing fantastically in the medical cannabis sector and it is no surprise that there is a lot interest in the hemp sector. As soon as these kinks are worked out, the state is sure to have a flourishing local industry.

 

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