- NOW TO AGRICULTURE NEWS.
NEWS THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO A PROMISING NEW INDUSTRY FOR
WISCONSIN.
AFTER MEETING WITH LAWMAKERS AND FARM OFFICIALS ON THURSDAY,
ATTORNEY GENERAL BRAD SCHIMEL REVERSED HIS PREVIOUS LEGAL
GUIDANCE THAT BANNED MOST CANNABIDIOL OR CBD OIL IN
WISCONSIN.
JUST AS FARMERS WERE LINING UP TO PRODUCE INDUSTRIAL HEMP UNDER
A NEW PILOT PROGRAM IN THE STATE,
SCHIMEL ISSUED A MEMO LAST MONTH THAT SAID THE OIL COULD ONLY BE
DISTRIBUTED IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES BY DOCTORS AND
PHARMACIES.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MET WITH MEMBERS OF THE WISCONSIN FARM
BUREAU AMONG OTHERS IN REACHING THE NEW DECISION TO ALLOW
FARMERS TO GROW AND SELL INDUSTRIAL HEMP WITHOUT FEAR OF
PROSECUTION, INCLUDING FOR PROCESSING THE HEMP INTO CBD
OIL.
ROB RICHARD FROM THE WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU IS HERE.
AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
- THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
- SO WHAT IS YOUR REACTION SITTING HERE TODAY TO THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL'S REVERSAL ON THIS?
- I'M ECSTATIC.
I'M ECSTATIC FOR OUR FARMERS.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW INDUSTRIAL
HEMP FOR THE PURPOSES THEY WANTED TO,
WHICH IS TO PRODUCE CBD OIL OR WHATEVER USE THEY WANTED TO,
BUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE CBD OIL COMPONENT WAS KEY.
- WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU SAW HIS ORIGINAL KIND OF
LEGAL GUIDANCE THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THIS ILLEGAL?
- JUST THE OPPOSITE.
IT WAS PURE DISBELIEF.
BUT I REALIZE WE HAD A CHANCE OF HOPEFULLY WORK WITH THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, EXPLAIN OUR POSITION AS BEST WE COULD AND HOPEFULLY HE
WOULD REVERSE IT.
- HOW MANY FARMERS ARE LINING UP TO PRODUCE HEMP?
- ACCORDING TO DATCP, I BELIEVE WE'RE AT AROUND 380 FARMERS THAT
HAVE SENT IN APPLICATIONS TO EITHER GROW OR PROCESS.
SO WISCONSIN IS LITERALLY BLOWING THE DOORS OFF THIS THING
COMPARED TO ANY OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY IN THE FIRST YEAR
OF THEIR PROGRAMS.
- AND SO FARMERS COULD BOTH GROW THE HEMP AND PROCESS IT
INTO THE CBD OIL?
- YES, BUT SOME FARMERS ARE ALSO JUST BEING CONTRACTED BY
OTHERS WHO WILL BE DOING THE PROCESSING FOR THEM.
- AND WHY IS WISCONSIN POISED THIS WAY, YOU KNOW,
BLOWING THE DOORS OFF OTHER STATES?
- WE HAVE A LONG AND STORIED HISTORY WITH INDUSTRIAL HEMP
GOING BACK TO THE EARLY 1910S AND '20S WITH MATT RENS,
AMERICA'S HEMP KING IN THE WAUPUN AREA THROUGH WORLD WAR II
WHEN WE REALLY BECAME THE NATIONAL LEADER IN INDUSTRIAL
HEMP.
YOU HAD THE FOND DU LAC, GREEN LAKE, DODGE COUNTY AREA.
THAT WAS THE MECCA OF HEMP GROWING OR HEMP PRODUCTION IN
THIS COUNTRY.
ABOUT 70% OF ALL HEMP CAME OUT OF THAT THREE COUNTY REGION.
- COULD THERE STILL BE SOME CHANGES THOUGH THAT MIGHT BE
CONCERNING FOR FARMERS AND OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY COMING
FROM THE 2018 FARM BILL, WHICH IS STILL BEFORE CONGRESS?
- SURE.
SO WHAT WE'RE REAL EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
MITCH MCCONNELL FROM KENTUCKY HAS INTRODUCED THE HEMP FARMING
ACT OF 2018 IN CONJUNCTION WITH WHAT CONGRESSMAN JAMIE COMER
FROM KENTUCKY WAS ALREADY DONE LAST YEAR WITH INTRODUCING HIS
ACT AS WELL.
BUT WHAT MITCH MCCONNELL WANTS TO DO IS REMOVE INDUSTRIAL HEMP
FROM THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT AND INSTEAD TREAT IT LIKE A
CROP, AS IT SHOULD BE.
- AND SO WHAT DO YOU THINK THE EXPECTATION IS FOR THAT TO
HAPPEN, GIVEN THE U.S. DOJ?
- SURE.
SO, CONCERNING THAT THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER WANTS THIS DONE
AND THAT HIS OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER HAS SIGNED
ONTO HIS BILL.
THIS IS GREAT, FANTASTIC NEWS IF THE SENATOR CAN GET IT ATTACHED
TO THE FARM BILL AND MOVE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS AND
HOPEFULLY GET IT SIGNED IN THE FALL.
BUT WE REALLY NEED SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN AND SENATOR RON JOHNSON
TO SPONSOR THIS BILL AS WELL TO REALLY PUSH IT
THROUGH THE SENATE.
- WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF THEM DOING THAT?
- WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
I THINK THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IT.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THEY'RE RECEPTIVE AND ULTIMATELY WE
WOULD REALLY LOVE TO HAVE THEIR NAME ON THAT BILL.
- WHAT HAPPENS IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN?
- WELL, I THINK MCCONNELL IS COMMITTED ENOUGH TO PUSH THIS
THROUGH ANY WAY HE CAN.
I KNOW HE'S WORKING WITH A COALITION OF GROUPS INCLUDING
THE AMERICAN FARM BILL FEDERATION TO GET THE SUPPORT HE
NEEDS TO GET THIS ATTACHED TO THE FARM BILL WHEN
IT'S IN THE SENATE COMMITTEE.
- OKAY.
IN TERMS OF HEMP AND THE PRODUCTION OF THAT,
ARE THERE OTHER PRODUCTS OTHER THAN THIS OIL THAT WISCONSIN
COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF?
- ABSOLUTELY.
SO IF YOU GO ON THE GRAIN SIDE AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE,
THERE'S PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR FARMERS WHO GO FOR THE GRAIN
TO PUT IN CEREAL BARS OR LET'S SAY A MAJOR CEREAL COMPANY
DECIDES TO INCLUDE IT AS AN INGREDIENT IN THE CEREAL.
THAT'S A GAME-CHANGER IN TERMS OF THE PRODUCTION
THAT WE COULD PRODUCE.
THEN YOU GO INTO THE HIGH-TECH INDUSTRY WITH SUPER CAPACITOR
BATTERIES, REPLACEMENT FOR KEVLAR,
THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY USING IT FOR THE INTERIOR COMPONENTS AND
PANELS.
YOU HAVE COMPANIES LIKE BMW, LOTUS AND MERCEDES USING IT AS A
REPLACEMENT FOR FIBERGLASS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THEIR CAR
PANELS.
IN THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT I KNOW
THAT ARE LOOKING TO UTILIZE HEMP TO MAKE BOARD.
IF WE CAN GET THIS GOING, GET FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES BEHIND
THIS, I THINK THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE.
- MEANWHILE WHEN DO FARMERS NEED TO START PLANTING?
- YESTERDAY.
IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE,
SOIL TEMPERATURES ARE REACHING THE LEVEL THAT WE NEED TO GET
SEED IN.
UP NORTH THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
BUT THE TIMING OF THIS WHOLE ISSUE WAS CRITICAL.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO PUSH AS HARD AS WE COULD.
- ROB RICHARD, THANKS VERY MUCH.
- THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.