Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current, September 20, 2019, Image 2

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Newspaper Page Text2 CapitalPress.com Friday, September 20, 2019 People & Places Leading the ‘green rush’ EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Portland attorney shapes booming hemp industry Established 1928 Board of Directors Western Innovator By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press SILVERTON, Ore. — Walking between neat rows of hemp in the lush Willa- mette Valley countryside, Courtney Moran paused to reflect on what has been a banner year in Oregon for the crop. Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, the num- ber of state-licensed grow- ers has more than tripled from 584 to 1,883, and total acreage jumped 473% from 11,754 to roughly 62,000. One industry forecast by New Frontier Data predicts U.S. hemp sales will reach $2.6 billion by 2022, on par economically with agricul- tural commodities such as strawberries and pistachios. Moran, a Portland attor- ney and president of the Ore- gon Industrial Hemp Farm- ers Association, has been at the forefront of advocating new laws and regulations for hemp, bringing order to what has quickly become a gold rush — or “green rush” — for farmers. With harvest approach- ing, Moran paid a visit Aug. 22 to Whole Circle Farms in the foothills outside Silver- ton, Ore., savoring the smell of hemp flowers atop leafy, chest-high plants. As a pro- fessional lobbyist, she said this is the fun part of her job. “It’s amazing to see the progression every year,” Moran said. “Businesses are trying new things.” Farm visits also give Moran the chance to talk with growers about issues they face. Whole Circle Farms, run by Peter and Rochelle Koch, was one of the first oper- ations to receive its hemp grower’s license from the Oregon Department of Agri- culture four years ago. The couple chatted with Moran over a cup of home-brewed hemp tea about finding a bank to serve their business — which remains up in the air even after the crop was legalized. Moran, 33, founded EARTH Law LLC in 2011 to work out legal issues for farmers and create a foun- dation on which the hemp industry could thrive. “This plant grows natu- rally all over the world, and that’s for a reason,” Moran said. “It can do so many amazing things.” Hemp law reform A native of Wisconsin, Moran attended Marquette University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in his- tory. She became interested in hemp during her senior year after reading “The COURTNEY MORAN Age: 33 Hometown: Portland Occupation: Attor- ney, EARTH Law LLC (2011-present); president and lobbyist, Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association (2015-pres- ent) George Plaven/Capital Press Courtney Moran is a Portland attorney and president of the Oregon Industrial Hemp Farmers Association. She recently paid a visit to Whole Circle Farms near Silverton, Ore., and co-owner Peter Koch. Emperor Wears No Clothes,” a pro-cannabis book by Jack Herrer. “When I read this book and I learned that this plant has been growing for thou- sands of years, has incredi- ble environmental benefits, can clean up toxins out of our soil, can make thousands of sustainable products, but was illegal to grow in our country. ... It made no sense,” Moran said. Hemp is closely related to marijuana, though it con- tains just .3% tetrahydrocan- nabinol, or THC, the psy- choactive component that gets users high. Hemp can be used to make clothing, textiles, paper and building materials, though most of the crop now is cultivated for cannabidiol, or CBD, an extract with multiple claimed benefits. The federal Controlled Substances Act, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1970, did not differenti- ate hemp from other types of cannabis and banned all cultivation. Moran attended law school at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapo- lis, graduating in 2011. For one summer, she interned at the National Organiza- tion for the Reform of Mar- ijuana Laws — or NORML — working on new medical marijuana caregiver laws. After graduating, Moran moved to Oregon, where she took the bar exam and estab- lished EARTH Law LLC, initially representing medi- cal marijuana growers fac- ing criminal prosecutions. “I figured out very quickly that’s not what I wanted to do,” Moran said. “I wanted to focus on hemp law reform and work with farmers. That was always my goal.” Moran earned her master of laws degree from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, determined to start a hemp program in Oregon. The state legislature already legalized hemp in 2009, though it was still classified as a Sched- ule I controlled substance — along with heroin and LSD. agenda includes federal agency updates, an Endangered Species Act panel discussion, a public lands ranching panel discussion, a PLC business meeting and a predator tour. http://publiclandscouncil.org Meeting Room, 4077 SW Research Way, Corvallis, Ore. A 3-part work- shop series offered to veterans free of cost. Sponsored by Ben- ton County Veteran Affairs. https:// tinyurl.com/yy2fnnyo Seeds of change The 2014 Farm Bill finally gave states the authority to regulate hemp, and Moran served on the advisory com- mittee to draft rules for Ore- gon’s pilot program. Oregon issued its first industrial hemp license on Feb. 2, 2015. Eleven grow- ers received permits during the first year, nine of whom planted and harvested a crop. But new challenges quickly arose for the budding industry. Almost immedi- ately, Moran said marijuana growers in Southern Ore- gon raised concerns about cross-pollination of plants and pushed the 2015 Leg- islature to impose growing and licensing restrictions on hemp. Moran testified at hear- ings and emailed lawmakers incessantly, helping to defeat the proposal on the last day of the session. “It is what enabled the hemp industry to really start in Oregon,” she said. In August, the Ore- gon Department of Agri- culture issued a letter stat- ing it would no longer issue licenses for the program. Within 30 minutes, Moran formed the Oregon Indus- trial Hemp Farmers Associa- tion with fellow hemp advo- cates Cliff Thomason and Jerry Norton to lobby for the industry. The legislature passed House Bill 4060 during the 2016 short session, which opened the door for any type of hemp cultivation, removed acreage limitations and set up mandatory testing of products. “That became the most comprehensive hemp bill in the country,” Moran said. While Oregon’s hemp regulations took shape, Moran was also reaching out to members of the state congressional delegation to begin addressing hemp at the federal level. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., had introduced hemp legal- ization bills since 2012 without getting so much as a hearing. Moran spent days pacing the Capitol in Washington, D.C., knock- ing on doors and educat- ing staffers about the dif- ferences between hemp and marijuana. “One girl, her jaw just dropped to the floor. She couldn’t believe I even said the word in their office,” Moran said. “So I went back to that office every single day that week until they let me have a meeting.” With support from an unlikely ally in Sen- ate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Con- gress included the Hemp Farming Act in the 2018 Farm Bill in December, defining hemp as an agricul- tural commodity and remov- ing it from the list of con- trolled substances. Seeking clarity The Hemp Farming Act provided the framework to support farmers while addressing law enforcement concerns, Moran said. As the law takes effect, Moran added the industry is still seeking guidance and clarity from the feds in four main areas. The first is awaiting new regulations from the USDA, which is expected to final- ize its program later this fall — creating federal stan- dards for testing THC lev- els, inspecting farms and requiring states to track production. “It’s really about unifor- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Marquette University (2008); juris doctor, University of St. Thomas (2011); master of laws, Lewis & Clark College (2014) mity in regulation,” Moran said. “Right now, we have so many different things going on in different states.” Second is lingering uncertainty around the trans- portation of hemp and inter- state commerce. Moran said seizures of hemp ship- ments still happen, and more work is needed to educate law enforcement on how to differentiate between legal hemp and illegal marijuana. The third issue is bank- ing, as reflected by the ongo- ing challenges at Whole Cir- cle Farms. Theoretically, Moran said there should be no more restrictions though banks are still being cautious about dealing with hemp businesses. Wyden and McCon- nell sent letters earlier this year to four financial insti- tutions urging them not to discriminate against hemp. Moran said it will take time for the industry to adjust. The last and perhaps murkiest issue is how the Food and Drug Administra- tion will regulate and clas- sify CBD products. The Nielsen market research firm predicts sales of hemp-de- rived CBD in the U.S. could reach $6 billion by 2025. The FDA has indicated it could take two to five years to complete its rule-making. Moran said companies and growers are hoping for guid- ance sooner to avoid stalling potential markets. Beyond CBD, Moran said she believes investment in fiber and industrial prod- ucts is “right around the cor- ner,” increasing the poten- tial for hemp to become one of Oregon’s most lucrative cash crops. “I do think people see the value, and that things are changing,” she said. “That opportunity is really starting right now.” CALENDAR THROUGH SEPT. 22 Washington State Fair: Wash- ington State Fairgrounds, 110 9th Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash. Washing- ton’s statewide celebration opens at 9:30 a.m. on weekends and 10:30 a.m. on weekdays. www.thefair.com MONDAY, SEPT. 23 Fall Cover Crop Work- shop: 6-7:30 p.m. Southern Ore- gon Research and Extension Cen- ter, 569 Hanley Road, Central Point, Ore. In this class, we will discuss the benefits of using fall-planted cover crops, learn about the species and mixtures well suited to south- ern Oregon, and detail the process of growing and managing cover crops for multiple benefits to your farm. $10 per person http://bit.ly/ JacksonExtAgriculture TUESDAY, SEPT. 24 16th Annual Oregon Farm Bureau Golf Classic Tourney: 7:30 a.m. OGA Golf Course, 2850 Hazelnut Drive, Woodburn, Ore. This fundraiser is sponsored by the Ore- gon Farm Bureau Federation. Call 503-399-1701. tiffany@oregonfb.org WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY SEPT. 25-28 Public Lands Council Annual Meeting: Great Falls Civic Center, 2 Park Drive S, Great Falls, Mont. The THURSDAY, SEPT. 26 Oregon Aglink Open House: 9 a.m.-noon. Oregon Aglink’s new office, 2195 Hyacinth St. NE, No. 105, Salem, Ore. Join the staff and members of Oregon Aglink at the organization’s new Salem office. Pastries and coffee provided. http://www.aglink.org SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 Goat Education Day: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Auditorium, South- ern Oregon Research and Exten- sion Center (SOREC), 429-569 Hanley Road, Central Point, Ore. Adults $35, Youths (18 and younger) $20 http:// bit.ly/JacksonGoatEdDay2019 Sauvie Island Jubilee: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Howell Territorial Park, 13901 NW Howell Park Road, Port- land, Ore. The event is free and open to all. Celebrate Sauvie Island his- tory and culture, and the West Mult- nomah Soil and Water Conserva- tion District’s 75th anniversary. It will be a fun-filled day of activities for all ages. https://www.sauvieislandjubi- lee.org/main WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9, 16, 23 Exploring the Small Farm Dream for Veterans: 1-3:30 p.m., Benton County Extension, Sunset WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY OCT. 30-NOV. 2 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo: Indiana Convention Cen- ter, 100 S Capitol Ave., Indianapo- lis, Indiana. This is the organization’s annual gathering. https://conven- tion.ffa.org/ SATURDAY-TUESDAY NOV. 2-4 2019 Angus Convention: Reno- Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S. Virginia St., Reno, Nev. From out- standing educational seminars to nationally known entertainment, the 2019 Angus Convention in Reno, Nev., is an event you won’t want to miss. http://www.angusconven- tion.com/ FRIDAY, OCT. 4 Tri-State Fine Fuels Man- agement Field Day: 9 a.m. Rock- ville School gym, 739 Succor Creek Road, Jordan Valley, Ore. Manage- ment tools including using dor- mant-season grazing to be dis- cussed. Sergio Arispe, sergio. arispe@oregonstate.edu, 541-881- 1417 http://extension.oregonstate. edu/malheur/ SATURDAY, OCT. 5 Oregon’s Bounty Event: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oregon State Cap- itol, 900 Court St. NE, Salem. This free celebration of the state’s agri- cultural harvest is sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation. 503-986-1388 FRIDAY-SUNDAY OCT. 11-13 Young Farmers & Ranchers Ag Tour: The Young Farmers & Ranch- ers (YF&R) Ag Tour of southwest Ore- gon Coast is open to Farm Bureau members. Tour will depart from Cor- vallis at 8 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, and will return by 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13. Jacon Taylor, jacon@oregonfb.org, 503-399-1701 WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Course: 6 p.m. Cowlitz County Administration Building General Meeting Room (3rd Floor), 207 Fourth Ave. N, Kelso, Wash. For- est Stewardship Coached Planning is a comprehensive series of classes that are taught by recognized for- estry experts from around the state of Washington. Participants receive one-on-one assistance in writing a forest stewardship plan, a forestry reference library, maps of their prop- erties, a forest measurement tool and a personal site visit from a pro- fessional forester. It takes place Oct. 16-Nov. 20 (a field trip will be Nov. 16). The registration fee is $125 before Oct. 5, and $150 after. Cost is per household (limit 4 people). Pat- rick Shults, patrick.shults@wsu.edu, 360-740-1213. http://forestry.wsu. edu/kelsocp/ THURSDAY, OCT. 17 Oregon Farm Bureau Tax Sym- posium: 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Oregon Farm Bureau Office, 1320 Capitol St. NE, Suite 200, Salem. Join Oregon Farm Bureau and leading tax pro- fessionals in a half-day workshop to discuss how to best prepare for the upcoming tax season. Event is free to voting and supporting members of Farm Bureau. RSVP by Oct. 11. tif- fany@oregonfb.org 503-399-1701 SATURDAY, OCT. 19 Oregon Ag in the Classroom Fall Harvest Dinner: 5 p.m., CH2M Hill Alumni Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis. Make plans to join us for our 2019 Fall Harvest Din- ner and Auction. All proceeds will directly support our mission: “To help students grow in their knowl- edge of agriculture, the environment and natural resources.” AITC@ore- gonstate.edu, 541-737-8629 WEDNESDAY- SATURDAY OCT. 30-NOV. 2 92nd National FFA Convention and Expo: Indiana Convention Cen- ter, 100 S Capitol Ave., Indianapolis. This is the organization’s annual gath- ering. https://convention.ffa.org/ Mike Forrester Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Susan Rana Harrison Forrester Mike Omeg Cory Bollinger Jeff Rogers Corporate Officers Heidi Wright Chief Operating Officer Rick Hansen Chief Financial Officer Capital Press Managers Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher Kevin Blodgett ........... Advertising Director Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor Jessica Boone ............ Production Manager Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager Entire contents copyright © 2019 EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is published weekly by EO Media Group, 2870 Broadway NE, Salem OR 97303. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. To Reach Us Circulation ...........................800-781-3214 Email ........... 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