Hemp has become a booming industry thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, passed by the USDA. One year after the Farm Bill approval, the hemp market was reported to be worth $4.71 billion. It’s currently predicted to increase to $15.26 billion by 2027. Sadly, not everyone is feeling this increase. Many Native American Tribes are feeling pushback despite the legalization of hemp. 

Back in 2014, the USDA passed an Agricultural Act that granted the authority to set up hemp research programs across the country, regardless of what the state law said about hemp legalization. However, it did not provide Native Tribes the same authority to begin their own programs regardless of the state laws. The Menominee tribe in Wisconsin felt this directly when the DEA confiscated and destroyed nearly 30,000 hemp plants. This simply happened because Wisconsin hadn’t legalized hemp yet. This hurt the livelihood of many within the tribe, who lost a major potential revenue source. In many tribes across the country, unemployment rates reach as high as 87 percent. The average life expectancy for Native American Tribe members is 55 years old. Such disparity in regulation only erects one more hurdle for Native Tribes to overcome.

Farm Bill

Many praised the passage of the Farm Bill in 2018. Native American Tribes didn’t. They still had to wait for approval for indigenous land regulations to be established. In 2019, the South Dakota Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe sued the USDA for still not creating regulations for Native American tribes to follow despite the 60 days implementation period the bill allotted. But this request was denied. The USDA stated that they would announce regulations in the Fall of 2019. These would allow tribes to prepare and grow for the 2020 season. 

Unfortunately, the USDA still hasn’t posted the regulations. They have stated that it will be ready for release in the first quarter 2021. This may be too late for the 2021 season. It would push back growth, production, and revenue for many tribes across the country until 2022. There are around 40 tribes that have been approved by the USDA for growth to begin once guidelines are released. Others are still working with the USDA to create a plan to start their own growth. But because of this unequal establishment of regulations, many reservations will find themselves trying to catch up with businesses that had the opportunity to grow hemp for years prior.

Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.