Arlington, Virginia – The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture will convene their annual Winter Policy Conference on February 24th – 26th at the Renaissance Arlington Capitol View Hotel. In attendance will be state commissioners and regulators from across the country, along with federal regulators and industry stakeholders to discuss policy that will help shape the future of agriculture.
Hemp Gains Attention
States are working to integrate their hemp programs, some of which have been in effect since 2014, into a newly proposed federal framework administered by the USDA. The public comment period saw submissions from several State Departments of Agriculture, industry associations, and even NASDA. Numerous issues face regulators including costly reporting requirements, strict sampling and testing protocols, and involvement of the DEA. State regulators are also looking at ways to promote growth and safety throughout the supply chain; imposing regulations on processors, manufacturers, and retailers.
Conversations around these issues will certainly be frequent this year at the conference. Recognizing the interest and importance of a new crop for farmers, NASDA will host a session titled: Hemp: Market Opportunities and Challenges.
CEO Asked to Provide Expertise
Our CEO, Kaelan Castetter, will be sharing his knowledge of the industry on a panel alongside Alex Spelman of SICPA moderated by Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt. Opening the session will be remarks from Dr. Tyler Mark, Assistant Professor at the University of Kentucky.
Kaelan has been heavily involved with hemp legislation and regulatory development in New York State as co-founder of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Assocation. In 2019 he helped lead efforts to draft the Hemp Extract Bill, a wide ranging and nation leading regulatory structure for the growing, manufacturing, and sales of hemp extract products. Working closely with Chairs of the Assembly and State Senate Agriculture Committees along with officials at the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, he helped to secure the bill’s signing into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo. As CEO of Innovative Bottling Inc., he was awarded the state’s first hemp processing license and went on to lead CSG’s efforts to partner with over 20 licensed growers, helping them navigate the complex hemp supply chain.
It's an honor to share my knowledge and experiences to NASDA's members and commissioners from across the country. In New York we have developed a holistic regulatory structure from a ballooning pilot research program behind the leadership of Commissioner Richard Ball. State regulators are facing unique challenges as this quick moving industry finally begins to receive federal oversight. -Kaelan Castetter, CEO Tweet