Here comes the flowers…
Lots going on this week, in the industry and the garden. Well, I am going to take a few minutes to rant about current happenings and a brief update on the crops in the garden. Keeping up with the current rules and regulations is mandatory in a world full of compliance.
And once again, we find ourselves looking down the barrel as the FarmBill revisions are being tendered by Senate and House for review. First of all, Hemp is a tiny element at the huge USDA, which manages government food programs. Basically a non-issue concerning the 1.6 trillion budget and the Senate has no significant changes in store. The House is motioning for a complete BAN on intoxicating hemp products, which completely deflates the CBD/THC side of hemp. Sounds about right, so they are opening up access to research and Big Pharma by relaxing the scheduling at the DEA, then spoiling opportunities of Grass Roots development from the public with bans.
Then we have the state laws, which opened up hemp product sales back in 2019. Lt. Gov. Paxton wants it banned now and is coming hard and fast with committed cooperation from Texas AG. This is a real toss-up on where this goes, we could get a full ban on retail to a full ban on growing hemp altogether. Kinda sucks, but here in the Gardens, we are holding strong, eagerly await decisions and will put full faith in the industry to reorganize, rebound and be stronger then ever.
Lastly, before I tell you about the Garden… let me tell you this. Ban is not the way, regulation is what we need. Prohibition does not stop anyone, those consumers just shift to alternative markets. So instead of realizing the tax gains, increase in job and revenues for small business, we just shut that down. The consumers are driven to a dark market whereas access to illegal drugs are plentiful and we are like way deep into a real pandemic with fentanyl. So Mr. Paxton and the rest of the gang pitching they are doing the right thing and removing hemp access from children. You are now delivering these consumers to the evils you protest in said dark market. So ask yourself this, do you want your kids to be exposed to street drugs which can kill them instantly, or can we be adults and have hemp options available, just as we have tobacco and alcohol products?
Okay, now for something a little brighter… updates from the Garden.
Week 5 Flowering for the early starters, there are 2 fine ladies of the OG Kush variety and 2 fine ladies from Jelly Donutz. Both very rich strains, heavy with terepenes and cannabinoids… i will go more into each as we get closer to harvest.
So 8 weeks total into germination and another 4 weeks to grow, these are testers for the primary crop currently preparing now. Primary strain will be OG Skywalker, another well rounded strain to fufill the summer growing season. And then there is the Taste of Texas Hemp Cup competion needing submission in September, which will be close. So it should be an exciting growing summer, while we finish up our testers (product for you!!!), pull a full crop through, deal with the legal changes coming through and grow/represent in the Hemp Cup.
Quite a bit of venting and I find it ridiculous how our leaders appear to drag the old conservative plow, when latest/recent public polls show 60% in favor of legalization and of the 40% who don’t, well 65% of them favor regulations instead of banning. Another example of government leadership being disconnected from their constituents every day life, while they dream away in a protected fantasy land.
You want safe replacements for plastic polymers, economically sound replacement for cotton, natural remedies for disease and ailments. Maybe its time to remove the old guard and act for the people instead of the age old schemes that have lined the wallets of our public servants. And they are accumulating millions of wealth on their provided state salary? I digress.