Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 10/4/19

The hype over hemp sparked a gold rush-level enthusiasm to plant the new crop across the country ever since it was legalized by the 2018 farm bill. In a declining farm economy, hemp offers a new source of income for farmers who are under siege because of the trade war with China, dropping commodity prices and a series of natural disasters. The potential economic boom is luring scores of agricultural novices.

Mass confusion: But the legalization of hemp has been far from a smooth ride. Countless headaches have popped up as farmers figure out how to grow, harvest, process and sell hemp. One major complication is that growers need to keep a close eye on their crops to make sure that the THC level in their cannabis doesn't creep above 0.3 percent. That's the legal threshold that technically classifies the crop as marijuana, a cannabis cousin of hemp.

Measuring the THC level in growing plants is a delicate, high-stakes task. USDA is under pressure to overwrite a patchwork of state regulations on measuring THC by setting a national testing standard. The department has yet to produce federal guidelines that will shape how the new commodity is grown and sold, though USDA has said it plans to do so ahead of the 2020 growing season. A proposed rule is still pending at the Office of Management and Budget.

Fluctuating levels: THC amount depends on a range of environmental factors, such as elevation, rain, temperature and even at what time in the season the plant is tested.

Growers with hemp programs have learned through trial and error which types of cannabis are riskier to grow, such as ones that contain "cherry" in the name, like "Cherry Wine" and "Maui's Cherry." But there's a Catch-22: Varieties that are high in THC also produce more CBD, the treasured, high-value compound farmers covet.