Nov 30

IHGA's November Hemp Recap

It's been another busy month of advocacy and planning! Let's dive into November’s highlights—from local wins to industry breakthroughs. Catch up on the latest updates, must-know events, and innovations in hemp!

IHGA Updates: Advocacy in Action

🌟 Hemp Town Hall Success On November 8th, we hosted a sold-out Hemp Town Hall at The Plant on the southwest side of Chicago. We unveiled HB5903, a grassroots bill poised to reshape Illinois hemp regulations, and took insightful feedback from the community. Rep. Harper, Chair of the House AG and Conservation Committee and the bill’s sponsor, joined us and shared her vision for the industry’s future.

Missed the event? Don't fret! Patreon subscribers can watch the full recording.

We also created this fact sheet to help others learn and share the bill:

🍽 Hemp and Urban Food Access

We had a great time getting to know the 6th District and learning more about hemp can play a role in urban food and land access at Rep. Harper's Food Access Visioning Workshop on November 16th.

🎥 Legislative Recap: IL Hemp Rules and Discussions with JCAR + IDOA In our latest Patreon video, we take you behind the scenes of an important week for the Illinois hemp industry. Rachel, Chris, and Cole recap the November 21st JCAR hearing with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, offering clarity on what the proposed rule changes mean for producers, processors, and retailers.

We also share highlights from our recent trip to Springfield, including meetings with key legislators, conversations about HB5903’s future, and a candid look at what lies ahead as we approach the January legislative session.

Industry Buzz

🗞 Illinois Responds to ‘Hemp Hysteria’ Amid confusion over new proposed hemp rules, state officials clarified their intent during a November 12th JCAR hearing. The Cole Memo breaks down the hysteria and provides thorough and refreshing analysis of the situation.

🌱Illinois Hemp Growers' Proposed Reform Bill Seeks to Unleash Growth Check out Chicagoland's Local Food Forum's coverage of our Hemp Town Hall and HB5903.

🔬 USDA Extends DEA Testing Deadline Business as Usual: The USDA will continue the several years long delay of the requirement for DEA-registered lab testing until December 2025 due to limited testing capacity.

🧑‍🌾The National Hemp Association asks, Is the Farm Bill Addressing the Wrong Problem at the Expense of Hemp Farmers? Read more for a balanced take on the 2025 Farm Bill.

🏠Candidates Announced for USHBA Board Elections The USHBA announced that 10 members had flung their hats into the ring to run for the board of directors in the December 2024 elections. Make sure your membership is in good standing and cast your vote by 12/15/24.

🌍 Hemp Touted for PFAS Remediation Hemp’s ability to clean up toxic PFAS chemicals is making waves in Australia.

🐔Use as chicken feed called milestone for hemp production A decision made this past summer to allow the use of hemp seed meal as an additive to chicken feed could give a boost to the production of hemp and help diversify crops

💡 Innovation in Fiber Processing A Hemp Research Consortium grant is driving advancements in hemp fiber quality and processing, promising a new era for U.S. hemp.

🏗️ Hempitecture Secures $8.4M in DOE Funding Hempitecture’s groundbreaking work in sustainable building materials just got a major boost, solidifying hemp’s role in sustainable construction.

What’s Next: Events & Advocacy

🛡 2025 Hemp Lobby Day Lame Duck Session is just around the corner and we are gearing up for another day of boots on the ground advocacy at the IL State Capitol!

Mark your calendars for January 7th and RSVP now to join the December 30th prep call.

RSVP for the next IHGA Membership Meeting on January 24 to stay in the know and catch up with the IL Hemp Community.

Hemp industry stakeholders should get registered for this USDA webinar set for December 11th.

Bring your best hemp industry questions for USDA, FSA, AMS and more to this one!

RSVP for this free webinar here.

Hear It Here First

🎙 Episode 141: Addressing Illinois Hemp Panic + HB5903 Explained Dive into the controversy surrounding Illinois’ regulatory updates and learn how HB5903 and the IL Hemp Community are pushing to align state and federal standards.

We are grateful for the Cole Memo Podcast for keeping the dialog open and accessible to all and for his thorough reporting! Please consider supporting his work at thecolememo.com.

Join the Movement

If you value IHGA’s work keeping the hemp community informed and advocating for fair, accessible regulations, please consider becoming an IHGA Sponsor or becoming a subscriber on our Patreon. Every dollar helps us expand our efforts, whether it’s producing these updates, organizing campaigns, or taking your concerns to the Capitol.

💚 Support us on Patreon for exclusive access to recordings, behind-the-scenes updates, and more—starting at $3/month.💚 Renew your IHGA membership to keep the Illinois hemp community strong.

👉 Subscribe and Support IHGA

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Catch you in December! 🌱