What’s next for hemp program?

Hemp-growing registrations in Wisconsin fell by 48 percent for the 2021 growing season, spurring state lawmakers to look to the private sector to help the fledgling program undermined by the pandemic and an uncertain CBD market.

Meanwhile, the drop in registrations has helped fuel a deficit in the fund to help cover the cost of regulating hemp producers, prompting lawmakers to consider passing off oversight to the federal government.

“There are some innovative things that we could do to create a synergy for the people who are blazing this trail,” said Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee. “We should be partnering with Foxconn, and say, ‘Whatever products you do, let’s get creative and try to make something with hemp.’” Partnerships with technology, paper and even diaper companies to make hemp products could benefit Wisconsin growers, according to Taylor.

Meanwhile, Rep. Tony Kurtz, R-Wonewoc, is trying to pass legislation to establish private and public partnerships for research on fiber. Kurtz’s optimism about hemp fiber stems from his experience in and communication with the military. A shift from polyester to fiber products, which are similar to cotton, could help prevent injuries and detection by enemy forces, Kurtz said.

Lawmakers also say the private sector could be useful in THC testing, a key component of the hemp program. All hemp must be tested for THC concentration prior to harvest.

A new rule can repurpose plants that exceed the THC limit, but testing remains a time-sensitive process. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s Bureau of Laboratory Services administers hemp testing but is also responsible for analyzing all samples for food safety, agrichemical management and plant industry programs. An increase in demand for testing over the past few seasons without sufficient staffing could be a barrier to keeping Wisconsin’s hemp program alive, according to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau report for the Joint Finance Committee.

LFB reported a 31 percent increase in total lab tests for THC and other testing in 2018-19 and was on track to report an 18 percent increase in 2019-20 until pandemic- related restrictions slowed activity. Without increased funding, hemp testing could be delayed from four days to 10 to 45 days, according to the report. It estimates failure to fund more staffing could impact more than just the hemp industry. Testing for pesticide drift and misuse could be delayed by an average of 60 to 120 days, and animal feed testing could be delayed by 30 to 75 days.

The Joint Finance Committee adopted a motion to provide the bureau with one position and $313,700 total — $139,000 for FY 2021-22 and $174,700 for FY 2022-23 — to meet increased staffing needs. Gov. Tony Evers’ budget had called for $940,900 and five permanent project positions to meet demands for testing hemp, food, pesticides and other areas that fall under the lab’s responsibility.

The private sector could provide longterm solutions, according to Taylor and other lawmakers. In the program’s beginnings, Taylor hoped testing could be modeled after private operations in Colorado. According to Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, there has been a “healthy back and forth” between lawmakers and the bureau about independent third-party testing.

The Capitol Report is written by editorial staff at WisPolitics.com, a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics, and is distributed for publication by members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.