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
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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
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