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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2019)
A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, December 11, 2019 USDA should rework its hemp testing rules F armers have been poring over the details of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s interim rules governing the production of hemp. They haven’t liked a lot of what they see. If nothing else, the rules have ended a lot of people’s dreams of quick, big money in the hemp business. It’s not all bad news. Now that hemp is legal, growers can access USDA programs such as crop insurance, farm loans and conservation pro- grams. Farmers can also use water from federal irrigation projects to grow the crop. But the rub comes in rules designed to keep legal hemp from becoming an ille- gal source of delta-9 THC, the psychoactive substance found in cannabis. And here you may require a brief tutorial in cannabis chemistry. Both marijuana and hemp contain various compounds — delta 9 THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA and CBG to name a few. Several of these compounds have commercial purposes, some more legal than others. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, but legal in some states for medicinal and recreational purposes. Growers select varieties with high delta-9 THC levels. The more THC, the bigger the buzz, the more valuable the crop. Industrial hemp, on the other hand, has relatively low levels of delta-9 THC. It is most often grown to extract CBD oil, which is sold for its medicinal value. Under USDA rules, legal hemp becomes illegal mari- juana when it contains more than 0.3% THC. How that level is measured is the detail that can make or break an otherwise legal hemp crop. Over the last few years, state ag departments regu- lating the crop have mea- sured only delta-9 THC. But the USDA’s new rules would measure “total THC,” tak- ing into account THCA — which converts into delta-9 THC when heated. Under that standard some cannabis that qualified as hemp in previous years would exceed the threshold and need to be destroyed. The USDA also wants the plants tested within 15 days of harvest. That’s a pretty tight window given the unpredictability of fall weather in the Pacific Northwest and the USDA’s requirement that test- ing be performed only at labs approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, both Oregon Democrats and longtime hemp advocates, have asked the USDA to adopt less strict testing protocols that would consider only delta-9 THC levels, give farmers a longer window to test plants and allow more labs to do the testing. “Farmers in Oregon and across the country are on the precipice of an agricul- tural boom that, with the right regulatory framework, stands to boost rural econo- mies in every corner of the country,” they wrote to Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue. We think they’re right in asking for a more favorable testing regime. The chances people will grow hemp for illicit THC seem pretty small given the availability of legal marijuana. Whether hemp is a boon for rural economies remains to be seen. But farmers don’t need the USDA throwing up unnecessary roadblocks. GUEST COLUMN Soaring into space T he machine whipped me up and down, around and around. I’m in training for a big adventure. My “Boarding Pass” reads: “NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration Boarding Pass Mars 2020 Jean A. Moultrie Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, Air Force Station Florida, Earth Arrival Site: Jezero Crater, Mars Rocket: Atlas V-541 Scheduled Departure: July 2020 Award Points Earned: 313,586,649 mi” “Let me off this contraption,” I hollered to the equipment oper- ator. “I can’t stand anymore.” The operator stopped the ride, helped me unbuckle my belt and climb off the wooden horse. “Listen, lady,” said the oper- ator. “If you can’t handle being on a merry-go-round, stay off the ride.” Unfortunately for me, I seem to have inherited a propensity for motion sickness — not a good attribute for space travel. I’ve experienced motion sick- ness on the following: car rides, bus, ferry, canoe, sailing vessel, aircraft, whale-watching boat, playground swing, summersault- ing down a grassy slope (as a kid) and carnival rides. Fortunately, I travel to space vicariously. My name, etched on a microchip along Jean Ann with a few mil- Moultrie lion other names, will soar into space toward Mars. I’ll watch the news broadcast with a bowl of popcorn. With my training, I won’t experience motion sick- ness at blast-off while perched on a sofa. Per NASA, the “launch period for Mars opens on July 17, 2020. It will land on Mar’s Jezero Cra- ter on February 18, 2021.” I’ll check periodically for progress reports. In the meantime, I check on the Mars Curiosity Rover and the latest selfies taken while doing research. Next, I turn my attention to the International Space Sta- tion and the astronaut broadcasts where they share experiences in space. A NASA chart shows when and how to locate the space station, the “third bright- est object” in the sky near sun- set or sunrise. For my location, I entered the area of John Day, Oregon, in the “Spot the Station” sign in. During the time I searched, the Space Station was noted to be visible without telescope at Canyon City, Prairie City and the John Day Fossil Beds. On another day or when visiting someone, I enter the location and search for when and where the space station is visible. To soar through space seems adventurous. I prefer staying on planet earth and Grant County where the county road caution sign lists “Wildlife for 40 miles.” I discovered ways to “soar”: Vicariously through the study of space travel, Photographing birds in flight, Helping a child read and learn about space. The deadline is ended for sub- mitting a name for this Mars exploration. I signed up for the notification when the list opens for the next Mars mission. For great winter and summer activities learning about NASA research, including past and future space missions with sec- tions for students, educators and the general public, visit nasa. gov. The author is a freelance writer in Grant County. She’s requesting books about space and a telescope from Santa, if possible. Or bird feeders and bird-watching binoculars. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Rotate the states WHERE TO WRITE GRANT COUNTY • Grant County Courthouse — 201 S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541-575-2248. • Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax: 541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@ centurylink.net. • Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville 97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541- 987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net • John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day, 97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541-575-1721. Email: cityjd@ centurytel.net. • Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@ cityoflongcreek.com. • Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025. Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net. • Mt. Vernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt. Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax: 541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ ortelco.net. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by To the Editor: Every four years since 1972, Iowa and New Hampshire in tandem have repeatedly been the first two states to vote in the American presidential pri- mary process. Isn’t it time for the other 48 states to take their turns at being one of the first two states to vote? populated) a period of political relevance. Also, moving Iowa and New Hampshire out of their unwar- ranted privileged political posi- tions at the front of the line would help make the process more demographically repre- sentative of the nation at large. Jake Pickering Eureka, California LETTERS POLICY: Letters to the Editor is a forum for Blue Mountain Eagle readers to express themselves on local, state, national or world issues. Brevity is good, but longer letters will be asked to be contained to 350 words. No personal attacks; challenge the opinion, not the person. No thank-you letters. Submissions to this page become property of the Eagle. The Eagle reserves the right to edit letters for length and for content. Letters must be original and signed by the writer. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers should include a telephone number so they can be reached for questions. We must limit all contributors to one letter per person per month. Deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Send letters to editor@bmeagle.com, or Blue Mountain Eagle, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845; or fax to 541-575-1244. Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................Rudy Diaz, rudy@bmeagle.com Community News .................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Sports ........................................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Administrative Assistant ..................Christy Smith, office@bmeagle.com Office Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, office@bmeagle.com MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION We should reform the pres- idential primary process in time for 2024 by instituting a rotational centurial schedule whereby every state will finally have the opportunity to be one of the first two states to vote. Rotating the states would bring a much needed, overdue element of fairness to our pri- mary system by giving each state (no matter how sparsely Online: MyEagleNews.com 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .........................................$45 Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Phone: 541-575-0710 Copyright © 2019 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews
