In “a major coup for the plant’s enthusiasts,” CBDRx, a cannabis grower near Denver “has secured a certification to market its products with the organic seal” from USDA, says Harvest Public Media. The approval from the organic program refers to industrial hemp. USDA noted marijuana cannot be certified as organic. The 2014 farm law approved research by universities and state agriculture officials into industrial hemp, defined as cannabis with very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in areas where cultivation is legal under state law.
“Catch that?” asks Harvest Public Media. “We’re talking about hemp here, which is still considered cannabis under federal law” and cannabis is illegal under federal drug law. A researcher for CBDRx, in Longmont, Colorado, says the farm decided to see if USDA would certify its hemp. Low in THC, industrial hemp can be used in rope, beauty products, apparel and health food. On its website, CBDRx says it produces “medicinal-grade, hemp-based CBD/cannabinoid products for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and wellness industries.”