Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's 2021 Hemp Program & CSQI Brings Accountability to Hemp Industry

  The first guest on the hemp podcast this week is Fred Strathmeyer, deputy secretary of plant industry at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture where he oversees the state's industrial hemp program. Strathmeyer said the application period for a hemp permits closed in early April and the state has issued 417 grower permits and 60 processor permits, down just slightly from last year. The state hemp program remains similar to last year's program, the main difference being the extension of the time to harvest, which increased from 15 days to 30 days, per the USDA's Final Rule that went into effect on March 22, 2021. Strathmeyer reviews some interesting hemp projects his department has funded through various grant programs, including a recently unveiled DIY hemp cabin kit developed by COEXIST Build in Berks County. Then we talk to Cynthia Petrone Hudock and Garrett Hall from CSQI – Cannabis Services Quality Index – a new company that promises to bring transparency and accountability to the hemp supply chain and will take much of the guess work out of finding reliable vendors and processors. They liken the new business to Consumer Reports, but for businesses along the hemp supply chain. Pennsylvania Department of Ag's hemp program https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/industrial_hemp/Pages/default.aspx CSQI's survey links Grower Survey: https://corexmsp67yfnw7m5t8g.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5pv71Jpn6jfL4q Vendor Survey: https://corexmsp67yfnw7m5t8g.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6KZcHe7y1PsytRI     News Nuggets States Begin Implementing Delta-8 THC Bans https://www.hempgrower.com/article/states-ban-delta-8-thc-industry-organizations-weigh-in-hemp-industries-association/ Wrangler Parent Expands Hemp Collab With Panda Biotech https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-brands/kontoor-brands-panda-biotech-us-grown-hemp-denim-wrangler-lee-276331/   Thanks to our sponsor IND HEMP https://www.indhemp.com/