Author: Brian Lieberman

July 28, 2021 General Ag News and Notes, Plant Pests and Diseases Post a Comment

Farmers tackle new threat to island coffee trees

The Garden Island
By Scott Yunker

The most-destructive disease known to the coffee plant has arrived on Kaua‘i, putting local growers on high alert.

Less than one year after the state’s first reported case of coffee leaf rust occurred in Maui, the blight’s presence has now been established on all major Hawaiian islands.

Coffee leaf rust, which is caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, can lead to defoliation, reduced fruit size and plant death. Local grower Ben Fitt of Outpost Coffee was the first to report the disease on Kaua‘i while tending to his one-acre orchard on the North Shore in late June.

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“I came across some interesting markings on some of the leaves and had a look, and I was pretty certain it was coffee leaf rust,” Fitt said.

Fitt immediately contacted the state Department of Agriculture, which sent a field agent to collect laboratory samples. The results came back as CLR on July 9. However, the fungus had been on Kaua‘i for at least six months prior to Fitt’s discovery, according to a department announcement released last week.

No one will ever know how the rust took hold in Fitt’s orchard, which follows stringent protocols intended to mitigate the risk of infection. In addition, the state has restricted the movement of affected islands’ coffee plants and other potential hosts since CLR’s first appearance in Hawai‘i last October.

Coffee leaf rust was first documented in Africa in 1861, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which claims it was next spotted in Sri Lanka six years later, where it ruined that country’s coffee production within a decade. The disease has since been found in all major coffee-producing countries.

“I can only speculate as to how it got over. We took every step we can to prevent it. It’s just so contagious,” said Fitt, who hopes to destigmatize growers dealing with rust and other agricultural ills.

“There’s been a lot of farmers that haven’t reached out about it on the other islands, because they were scared of the repercussions from others,” Fitt explained. “I’d rather create an environment of, ‘The more we let people know and the departments know earlier on, it’s not a reflection on you as a bad person for having it.’”

The general manager of Kaua‘i Coffee Company, the largest coffee-grower in the U.S., appreciates Fitt’s transparency: to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

“We knew it was just a question of time,” Fred Cowell said, drawing a parallel between leaf rust and the arrival of the coffee berry borer, a pestilential beetle, in September. But it took the berry borer a decade to penetrate Kaua‘i following its discovery on Kona in 2010. In contrast, CLR has blown through Hawai‘i Island, Maui, O‘ahu, Lana‘i, Moloka‘i and Kaua‘i in eight months.

Cowell’s team has yet to find rust within Kaua‘i Coffee Company’s approximately 3,000-acre orchard. If it’s discovered, farm-workers will document the findings with a smartphone app connected to a centralized database that allows users to monitor problem areas with pinpoint accuracy. The company, which already utilizes mechanization throughout its operation, may even deploy drones to spray infected coffee trees.

“I don’t need to spray the entire orchard. I just need to spray wherever the hotspot is, either rust or CBB. We can send a tractor out and just do that area,” Cowell said. “But, potentially, in the future, we could launch a drone and it could go from spot to spot to spot and be done.”

Different approaches to fighting disease

Fitt, meanwhile, has taken a more-hands-on approach: He’s hired help to assist him in removing infected trees, and has adopted new pruning techniques. These efforts will increase airflow and sunlight in the orchard, thereby reducing the hot and moist conditions preferred by CLR. He is open to spraying fungicide, but only as a last resort.

“We don’t want to be spraying systemic chemicals on our farm,” Fitt said. “We would rather take a lot of other steps first to make sure that we do everything we can in our power to limit the spread with less-harmful techniques.”

Fitt estimates 3% to 5% of his coffee trees are showing relatively minor signs of rust.

“One of the key factors to how the tree responds to the pest is how healthy it is,” he said. “It’s kind of like humans getting sick: If you’re unhealthy before, you’re going to be affected worse.”

Fortunately for Fitt, that’s not the case here.

“We’re in a lucky position that our trees are super healthy. Our soil is very healthy, too,” Fitt continued. “Even though we are seeing signs of it, the trees aren’t really being affected that much.”

Cowell agrees: Soil affects everything, from the trees’ hardiness to the quality of consumers’ morning brew. Nurturing Kaua‘i Coffee Company’s land with cover crops, compost and other sustainable techniques will go a long way toward mitigating damage caused by rust.

CLR hasn’t gotten to Kaua‘i Coffee, yet

“With leaf rust showing up now and us having begun, five years ago, a journey toward better soil health and better sustainability, I think we’re going to have a pretty good chance of fighting it,” Cowell said. “There will be challenges, we don’t doubt it. It’s not here yet, but I have to assume that it will show up.”

CLR does not pose an existential threat to the Hawaiian coffee industry, according to Cowell, who said the product won’t disappear from supermarket shelves. However, it may bode ill for small orchards and hobbyists unable to invest the time, money and effort required to fight the disease.

“I think — for the state, anyway — it isn’t that CLR is going to chase them out of the business. It’s just a question of how much are they going to put up with?” Cowell said. “Exactly how difficult will it get before I finally just say, ‘You know what, I’m going to put in a few orange trees’ or ‘I’m just going to mow my field.’ That’s the long and short of it.”

Fitt is asking residents to report any suspected cases of coffee leaf rust to the state Department of Agriculture. Contact information and a CLR sampling form is available online at hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/ppc/new-pest-advisories/.

“Coffee prices are going to go up because there’s a lot more labor involved in making sure this coffee leaf rust doesn’t destroy people’s trees,” Fitt said. “Production will go down with coffee leaf rust. I think the biggest thing that the average person can do to support their local farmers is to buy Hawaiian coffee.”

July 27, 2021 General Ag News and Notes, Hawaii Maritime Shipping, Jones Act Post a Comment

To Promote Competition, Deregulate

Project Syndicate
by ANNE O. KRUEGER

In a sweeping new executive order, US President Joe Biden has called on regulators to push for greater competition across a wide array of sectors and industries. But sometimes regulation itself is a big part of the problem.

US President Joe Biden recently issued an executive order calling on regulators to “further competition” in the shipping and rail industries, among others, because high and rising freight costs and delivery delays constitute a drag on economic activity by preventing businesses from obtaining timely inputs. But regulatory interventions won’t ameliorate that problem; deregulation will.

For over a century, US maritime transport has been regulated under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (the “Jones Act”) and the Foreign Dredge Act of 1906, both of which greatly restrict competition and raise costs. The Jones Act requires all shipping between domestic ports to be on vessels that are American-built (made with a majority of American-made parts), American-owned, American-operated, and manned by a crew that is at least 75% American.

The Case Against the Jones Act, a collection of essays edited by Colin Grabow and Inu Manak, details the many problems with this rule. For starters, the law both ignores and contributes to the fact that coastal cargo ships built in the United States cost six to eight times more than similar vessels built elsewhere. Moreover, labor costs are substantially higher for US ships, both because wages are relatively higher in the US and because the legally required size of coastal ship crews has remained unchanged, even as automation has enabled foreign shipping companies to reduce crew size and lower their costs. Restrictions on US dredging further exacerbate the problem.

The paradox of this protectionist rule is that it has led to a sustained decline in US shipbuilding, an increase in land-based transportation, unnecessary highway congestion, greater environmental damage, and an aging, smaller fleet that employs far fewer people than it once did.

Citing high and rising costs, Biden’s executive order aims to enhance US competitiveness and economic growth, improve occupational conditions for American workers, reduce environmental damage, safeguard national security, strengthen US infrastructure, and increase the number of “good” jobs.

It is rare to find a policy instrument that can achieve so much for so little. But that is exactly what repealing America’s damaging shipping regulations would do. Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, in particular, would benefit immensely, because maritime shipping between them and the US mainland costs significantly more than it would without the Jones Act (which has even resulted in cattle being transported by air from Hawaii.)

The benefits of repeal would be far-reaching, starting with the effect on competitiveness and growth. High shipping costs raise the prices of imports used in manufacturing, which in turn raises the prices charged to consumers, making US businesses less competitive in foreign countries where other producers bear no such costs. An inefficient and costly transportation sector reduces the entire economy’s overall growth rate.

By unnecessarily increasing the cost of ships, the Jones Act deters US shipping companies from buying new vessels. Not surprisingly, at least half the US coastal shipping fleet is more than 30 years old, even though the ships’ economic life expectancy is about 20 years. It is estimated that there are only 99 active Jones Act ships, supporting 3,380 jobs at most. With deregulation, the industry could add more ships and thus more jobs. And the newer ships would be better for the environment and less accident-prone, providing a healthier workplace for more crew.

The environmental benefits would not end there. Freight carried by ship causes greenhouse-gas emissions that are 70% lower per ton-mile than freight carried by rail, and over 80% lower than freight carried by trucks. By allowing for much more freight to be shipped by water (at significantly reduced cost), repealing the Jones Act would relieve traffic congestion and delays on major US trucking routes. This also would further Biden’s infrastructure goals, by freeing up resources that otherwise would go to maintain the country’s over-burdened highways.

Since the Jones Act was enacted, the number of shipyards and ships built in the US has diminished greatly, except in the case of barges and related small vessels. As former US Maritime Commissioner Rob Quartel concludes in his contribution to The Case Against the Jones Act, the law’s restrictions “have led to the demise of American ships and shipbuilding and the subsequent loss of military support capacity, to the detriment of our national security.”

He also notes that the Jones Act has been suspended “for national emergencies…on the grounds that it was an impediment to national security.” More broadly, the national-security argument for requiring ships to employ American citizens makes little sense: foreign-flagged and foreign-manned ships enter US ports from overseas every day, and the airline industry may employ anyone who is authorized to work in the US.

In sum, the Jones Act has not served any of the purposes that its defenders cite. It has been detrimental to workers, the environment, and the overall economy, while benefiting only a very small group of people.

Fortunately, the law could easily be phased out over time, with offsets for any reduction in wages to seamen already in the industry. During the phase-out period, waivers could allow shipping to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Alaska. These could also be granted in cases where Jones-eligible shipping is not available, or where the costs or delays of using it are unreasonably burdensome.

Not all regulation is bad, and not all regulation is good. There is no question about how to categorize the Jones Act. If the Biden administration is serious about promoting competition and economic growth, it should look at regulations that do far more harm than good.

July 27, 2021 Agricultural Science, Agriculture Grants, CTAHR, Sweet Potato Post a Comment

Sweet potato protection! CTAHR team joins nationwide effort

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

CTAHR will use a new grant to study ‘Okinawan’ sweet potato

When a virus or virus-like agent infects a vegetatively propagated crop, the negative consequences can go far beyond a disappointing yield, appearance, taste and plant longevity. If the difficult-to-find disease goes undetected inside the propagation material, the problem could be passed on to a new farm, establish itself, and spread even further.

With a new grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a group of University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) extension agents and researchers on Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui and the Big Island have joined a national network’s sweet potato research group.

Since 2008, the National Clean Plant Network has brought together growers, scientists and government agencies with the shared goal of safeguarding clean plants and ensuring a sustainable source of disease-free, vegetative propagation materials (such as cuttings, slips, scionwood, etc.).

For their first project, Amjad Ahmad, Rosemary Gutierrez, Roshan Manandhar, Susan Miyasaka, Sharon Motomura-Wages and Jensen Uyeda, along with Jon Suzuki from the USDA’s Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, will focus on ‘Okinawan’ sweet potato, the purple-fleshed variety that is a primary commercial cultivar in Hawaiʻi.

“During the first year, we hope to produce a total of 100 virus-tested ‘Okinawan’ plantlets in the tissue-culture laboratory of the Komohana Research and Extension Center, then distribute to extension agents across the state,” Miyasaka says.

The plan calls for the extension agents to multiply the clean material to produce 500 cuttings, and distribute them to growers. The agents will use either pot or hydroponic cultures under conditions that will minimize any re-introduction of disease, while Suzuki will test for major sweet potato viruses in order to ensure that the propagating materials are clean. If all goes well, by the second year of funding, the agents will be able to ramp up production to distribute 2,500 clean cuttings to growers.

July 27, 2021 Cannabis, General Ag News and Notes, Stock Market Post a Comment

Millennium Investment & Acquisition Co. Inc. Provides Corporate Update

Currently, MILC has invested in operating companies with two areas of focus:
1) Sustainable cultivation of Cannabis in Greenhouses through Millennium Cannabis
2) Sustainable production of Activated Carbon through Millennium Carbon

Millennium Cannabis

MillCann has identified greenhouse cultivation as the sustainable method for growing cannabis in a cost-effective manner with a lower carbon footprint than indoor cultivation. Historically, cannabis in the United States has been grown indoors and this trend has continued even as various States have implemented legalization. MillCann believes that its strategy of focusing on greenhouse cultivation represents a competitive advantage. Greenhouses cost less to construct and less to operate than indoor cultivation facilities and as such, we believe MillCann can compete favorably with this approach.

The cannabis industry is experiencing rapidly growing demand amid the tailwind of increasing legalization at the State level. The inefficient availability of capital in the cannabis industry given the illegal status at the federal level presents an opportunity for MillCann as it has efficient access to capital through its strategic affiliation with Power REIT (NYSE-American ticker: PW and PW.A) which is focused on financing the real estate component of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facilities in the form of greenhouses. As a result, MillCann is able to establish operations efficiently as it has done with its first two transactions.

To date, MillCann has commenced operations in Walsenburg, Colorado and Vinita, Oklahoma and is actively pursuing further expansion of its activities related to the sustainable cultivation of cannabis. As part of establishing these two operations, MillCann has rapidly put together an experienced team of greenhouse cannabis cultivation experts. The team is led by Jared Schrader who has significant experience consulting for financial institutions including private and public banks, hedge funds, and REITs. In this role he developed operational strategies and software, performed due diligence of asset purchases, monitored performance of portfolios and handled sales through securitizations. Within the Cannabis industry, Mr. Schrader has a solid track record growing revenue at a southern Colorado cultivation facility from $150,000 annually to over $150,000 weekly (i.e. > $8 million annually) across the span of two years.

Walsenburg, Colorado

On May 24, 2021, MILC announced that it entered into a transaction that represents a new area of focus MILC related to sustainable Cannabis cultivation in greenhouses by investing in a newly formed cannabis operator, Walsenburg Cannabis LLC (“WC”). MILC’s total capital commitment to the project is $750,000. As part of the transaction, MILC agreed to lend capital to WC for its business operations and MILC is in the process of obtaining regulatory approvals for holding cannabis licenses in Colorado. Upon receiving regulatory approval, it is contemplated that MILC will become the majority owner of WC in the form of a 77.5% preferred equity ownership stake.

Simultaneous with MILC’s investment, WC entered into a long-term lease (the “Lease”) of a 22.2 acre property (the “WC Property”) in Walsenburg, Colorado with Power REIT. The Property has substantial existing improvements including existing greenhouse and processing space. As part of the Lease, Power REIT, has agreed to fund the rehabilitation of the existing improvements and the construction of additional greenhouse space. Upon completion, which is targeted for this fall, the WC Property will have a total of approximately 102,800 square feet of greenhouse and related space.

The Walsenburg cannabis campus was a distressed acquisition of a facility that had ceased operations. MILC believes that it was acquired at an attractive basis relative to the in-place improvements which provide an attractive opportunity to immediately commercialize the facility for cannabis cultivation. MILC believes that this property has significant potential to become a large-scale, low-cost producer of high-quality cannabis to compete effectively in the Colorado market.

The campus is subdivided into five parcels which allows for a significant availability of plant count based on how the Colorado Marijuana licensing works. We currently anticipate an 11,500 plant count per cultivation and we are targeting four crop cycles in Walsenburg. We intends to seek to increase the allowable plant count as Colorado licensing permits. It is possible that we will be able to increase the plant count during 2022.

Vinita, OK

On June 11, 2021, MILC announced that it has agreed to invest in a newly formed cannabis operator – VinCann LLC (“VC”). As part of the transaction, MILC agreed to invest $750,000 in the form of a controlling preferred equity interest whereby MILC receives a full return of its invested capital plus a preferred return of 12.5% after which MILC has a 77.5% ownership stake. The remaining subordinated ownership is held by the management team of VC.

Simultaneous with MILC’s investment, VC entered into a 20-year lease for a 9.35 acre property in Vinita, Oklahoma with approximately 40,000 square feet of greenhouse, 3,000 square feet of office space, and 100,000 square feet of fully fenced outdoor growing area with 20,000+ square feet of hoop structures that have been purchased by Power REIT.

The Vinita facility was a distressed acquisition purchased from an undercapitalized operator. Strong in-place infrastructure and the operational status upon acquisition allows for rapid speed to revenue. MILC believes that it was acquired at an attractive basis relative to the in-place improvements which provide an attractive opportunity to immediately commercialize the facility for cannabis cultivation. MILC believes that this property has significant potential to become a large-scale, low-cost producer of high-quality cannabis to compete effectively in the Oklahoma market. The targeted total plant count cultivation in 2022 for the greenhouse and outdoor, respectively, are 26,000 and 50,000 per year.

David Lesser, MILC’s Chairman and CEO, commented, “We are excited to provide an update regarding our new area of focus – sustainable cannabis cultivation in greenhouses. We are also proud of the rapid progress we are making at each site as well as the teams we are building. We are very focused on building teams that draw from the broader business community and people with a focus on greenhouse cultivation rather than just drawing from the cannabis industry. We are on track to report initial revenue from these activities in the fourth quarter of 2021. We expect to ramp up significantly in 2020 as we seek to generate significant operating income from these operations.”

Jared Schrader, Millennium Cannabis’ President, commented, “The cannabis industry is growing at an incredible rate and our approach which is focused on low-cost and sustainable cultivation in greenhouses is paramount to a long-term and viable business model. Both of our current projects in Colorado and Oklahoma benefit from the potential for rapid speed to revenue. We are focused on bringing best in class, large-scale mainstream agricultural cultivation techniques to the cannabis industry. We are thankful to have best in class industry experts at Millennium Cannabis and are looking forward to growing the team as we take on more projects in more states.”

Millennium Carbon

Hawaii

In May, 2015, MILC acquired an activated carbon plant (the “MHC Plant”) out of bankruptcy at a steep discount to the original investment.

The MHC plant is intended to process a waste stream of macadamia nut shells into a special form of premium-grade activated carbon, which, due to its large surface area and complex network of pores, provides benefits in a variety of chemical processes including filtration, purification and energy storage. In particular, the activated carbon expected to be produced by the Plant was targeted for manufacturing electrical double-layer capacitors, which are commonly referred to as Ultracapacitors or Supercapacitors, an advanced energy storage alternative to traditional batteries. Ultracapacitors are found in a diverse array of electronic equipment from daily usage engine starting, hybrid and electric vehicles to windmills.

MHC successfully restored all production equipment and necessary support systems to operation and completed 31 trial run campaigns that produced over 60 tons of activated carbon. The process was iterative where MHC operated the plant for a couple of days to produce Activated Carbon and then performs laboratory testing. MHC produced some very high-grade material that would be attractive to ultracapacitor manufacturers. Unfortunately, MHC has also experienced significant variations in the quality of the material produced.

During the first half of 2019, MHC concluded that the existing carbonization reactor intended to remove volatile material and produce char was the culprit causing the inconsistent results. In evaluating alternatives, MHC concluded that it had identified a novel and potentially better approach to producing Activated Carbon. Based on this, MILC has made efforts to minimize overhead and cash drain at MHC while it evaluates alternatives for the project which may include repurposing the plant for other uses or a potential sale.

Kentucky

As described above, in evaluating operational issues at MHC, MILC identified a novel approach to producing Activated Carbon and determined to construct a pilot-plant as a proof of concept. This project is located in Kentucky and the initial feedstock is a waste stream that is available in large quantities from bourbon distilleries which is a large industry in Kentucky and which represents a significant waste problem that is impacting the industry. To build the pilot plant, MILC, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Millennium Carbon LLC (“MC”) purchased several used pieces of equipment at a fraction of the cost of new equipment in order to construct a plant capable of establishing the viability of the process beyond a “lab-scale” demonstration. To date, MC has operated this pilot plant and believes that the concept is valid and can be scaled to a commercial operation. MC is currently formulating a plan for a commercial scale Activated Carbon plant based on the experience with the pilot plant.

David Lesser, MILC’s Chairman and CEO, commented, “While we are disappointed with the status of the Hawaii endeavor, we believe that the experience has led to what could be an extremely exciting opportunity to develop a sustainable approach to the production of activated carbon from waste materials. Typical production of activated carbon has a very high carbon footprint whereas we believe our model should have a negative carbon footprint. We look forward to continuing to develop this novel concept which should have applications beyond our initial waste stream feedstock.”

SMC Global

As previously announced, MILC has now completed the liquidation of its investment in SMC Global which represented its sole investment in securities.

Updated Investor Deck

MILC has posted an updated investor deck which is available on our website: http://www.millinvestment.com/

Deregistration as a 1940 Act Company

On October 14, 2020, shareholders approved a proposal to change the nature of the Company’s business from a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and to a holding company that focuses primarily on owning and operating businesses that produce activated carbon and acquiring other private businesses (collectively, the “Deregistration Proposal”). The Company is in the process of implementing the Deregistration Proposal so that it is no longer an “investment company” under the 1940 Act and has applied to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for an order under the 1940 Act declaring that the Company has ceased to be an investment company (the “Deregistration Order”).

While the Company is committed to fully implementing the Deregistration Proposal, it is still contingent upon regulatory approval and the ability to reconfigure the Company’s portfolio to deregister as an investment company. The time required to reconfigure the Company’s portfolio could be impacted by, among other things, the COVID-19 pandemic and related market volatility, determinations to preserve capital, the Company’s ability to identify and execute on desirable acquisition opportunities, and applicable regulatory, lender and governance requirements. The conversion process could take up to 24 months; and there can be no assurance that the Deregistration Proposal, even if fully implemented, will improve the Company’s performance. Further, the SEC may determine not to grant the Company’s request for the Deregistration Order, which would materially change the Company’s plans for its business.

As previously announced, MILC has now completed the liquidation of its sole investment in securities – its investment in SMC and plans to invest the proceeds in operating businesses.

ABOUT MILLENNIUM INVESTMENT & ACQUISITION COMPANY INC.

Millennium Investment and Acquisition Co. Inc. (ticker: MILC) is an internally managed, non-diversified, closed-end investment company. During 2020, MILC announced that it was seeking to de-register as an Investment Company that is regulated under Investment Company Act of 1940. MILC is currently seeking an Order from the SEC declaring that it has ceased to be an Investment Company as it no longer meets the definition of holding itself out as investing in securities but rather has pivoted to focus on direct investments in operating businesses.

MILC is currently focusing on opportunities in sustainable cannabis cultivation and sustainable production of activated carbon.

Additional information about MILC can be found on its website: www.millinvestment.com

ABOUT POWER REIT

Power REIT is a specialized real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns sustainable real estate related to infrastructure assets including properties for Controlled Environment Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation. Power REIT is actively seeking to expand its real estate portfolio related to Controlled Environment Agriculture for the cultivation of food and cannabis.

Power REIT is focuses on the “Triple Bottom Line” with a commitment to Profit, Planet and People.

Additional information about Power REIT can be found on its website: www.pwreit.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. You can generally identify forward-looking statements as statements containing the words “believe,” “expect,” “will,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “assume”, “seek” or other similar expressions, or negatives of those expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements contained in this document regarding our future strategy, future operations, future prospects, the future of our industries and results that might be obtained by pursuing management’s current or future plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our forward-looking statements are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date of the filing of this document. Over time, our actual results, performance, financial condition or achievements may differ from the anticipated results, performance, financial condition or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, and such differences may be significant and materially adverse to our security holders.

July 26, 2021 Employment/Jobs, General Ag News and Notes, Hawaii Agricultural Employment, Hawaii Agriculture Jobs Post a Comment

USAJOBS Daily Saved Search Results for Agriculture jobs in Hawaii for 7/26/2021

Customs Entry Officer –
Department: Department of Homeland Security –
Agency: Customs and Border Protection –
Hiring Organization: Office of Field Operations
Number of Job Opportunities & Location(s): Many vacancies – Multiple Locations
Salary: $43,683.00 to $69,462.00 / PA
Series and Grade: GS-1894-7/9
Open Period: 2021-07-26 to 2021-07-30
Position Information: Permanent – Full-time
Who May Apply: Open to the public

July 26, 2021 Cannabis, General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Congress Is Working To Protect All Legal Cannabis States

GreennEntrepreneur

States With Legal Cannabis Are Finding Protection From Congressional Legislators
A revised measure has now surfaced to protect all states and tribal programs from federal penalties. This new bill has 15 cosponsors following its bipartisan advocates spreading a letter to develop support this week Yet a Republican who stands in opposition to cannabis reform, is pushing a dueling proposal. This push is to rid a more modest, longstanding rider that’s implemented defense for medical cannabis states alone.

The pro-reform amendment which may get a vote on the House floor next week is being managed by several political figures. These politicians are Earl Blumenauer, Tom McClintock, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Barbara Lee. The goal is to connect the proposal to 2022 fiscal year spending legislation for the Commerce. As well as the Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS).

Furthermore, Rep. Doug LaMalfa is taking the unprecedented move of filing a competing measure. This particular bill would stop federal protections for states with medical cannabis legalization. This also includes his own—that have been in place and renewed yearly on a bipartisan basis since 2014.

Now with the Democratic party in control of Congress and the increasingly cross-party nature of support for marijuana reform things may work out overall. With this many, advocates aren’t significantly concerned about LaMalfa’s amendment.

However, the GOP congressman has gained a reputation as a staunch reform opponent. This has gone to the extent of recently knocked down illegal cannabis cultivation sites in California alongside local police. His plan to stop protections for the state’s decades-old medical marijuana program has caused some concern.

What Is Next For Cannabis Reform In The United States
On a different end of the spectrum, legislators who support cannabis reform gave insight in a Dear Colleague letter that was released recently. They went on to say that the appropriations revision they’re proposing would add “language preventing the Department of Justice from using any funds appropriated by Congress to enforce federal laws regarding activities that are legal under state, territorial, or tribal law with regard to marijuana, regardless of whether the marijuana laws are recreational or medicinal.”

This language has been introduced in past sessions as well, passing the House back in 2020 and the year before that. However, it was not added to the final provisions of the bill that was sent to the president’s desk. Now that Democrats have a small bulk in the chamber, supporters are confident that it could finally be passed.

In addition to the four main sponsors of the bill, it’s now been cosponsored by many other political figures. For instances such as Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries and Reps. Carolyn Maloney, David Joyce, Diana DeGette, Dina Titus. In addition to Donald Beyer, Jan Schakowsky, Mike Thompson, Pramila Jayapal, Ed Perlmutter, and Don Young.

As of right now, the spending bill rider that LaMalfa is working to offer protection only to states with medical cannabis programs. This new more comprehensive revision from reform advocates would expand that protection. This would be happening at a time when more and more states are trying to legalize marijuana for adult use. So far in 2021 four states have gone on to legalize the adult use of cannabis. These states are Connecticut, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia who have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes this year alone.

The Language Of The Suggested Amendment
1 SEC _. None of the funds made available by this Act to the Department of Justice may be used, with respect to any of the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, or with respect to the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the United States Virgin Islands, to prevent any of them from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana.

1 SEC __. None of the funds made available by this Act to the Department of Justice may be used to prevent any Indian tribe (as such term is defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) from enacting or implementing tribal laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana.

Will Congress Be Able To Pass Federal Cannabis Reform In 2021
LaMalfa also filed a second amendment to the CJS bill that’s aimed at “including marijuana grow sites in the eligible category for [Drug Enforcement Administration] reimbursement of state, units of local government, or tribal governments for expenses incurred to clean-up and safely dispose of substances which may present a danger to public health or the environment found at illegal marijuana grow sites.”

An added LaMalfa revision to a separate funding bill for the State Department is meant to “express the intent to direct the Department of State to issue a report on the connections between international criminal organizations and illegal marijuana grows within the United States.”

On the CJS bill, Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) also filed an amendment intended to “support efforts to eliminate illegal marijuana grows in South Eastern California.”

Final Thoughts On Congress Passing Federal Cannabis Reform
The budgeting process this session has seen many drug policy reform provisions. This involved a bill text and associated reports including protecting banks that work with marijuana businesses. As well as supporting government agencies to rethink policies that terminate workers for cannabis use. Also being able to investigate research into the medical use of psychedelics and preventing immigrants from being deported for cannabis, alongside other matters.

Independently, the full House of Representatives could vote next week on revisions to large-scale minibus appropriations legislation. Which would make it so marijuana possession or consumption could not be used as the foundation or main reason for refusing people access to public housing.

For the CJS appropriations bill where the new marijuana state protection language could be attached. From this amendments were due to be submitted by Friday afternoon. The House Rules Committee is set to make a choice this upcoming week. This would come after the bill and any revisions that are considered and will head to the floor for votes.