News Categories
Oversight Of Industrial Hemp In New York Found Lacking

An audit by the Office of the New York State Comptroller of the state’s industrial hemp program found a number of issues of concern.
The objective of the audit was to determine if the Department of Agriculture and Markets was adequately administering New York’s hemp program in accordance with federal and State requirements.
In short, it appears it hasn’t – or at least wasn’t.
The audit covered the period April 1, 2016 through May 31, 2019. Releasing the results six months after the fact doesn’t really give an accurate picture of what may be happening now, but the Department was made aware of the issues earlier on in the year and supported recommendations made by the Comptroller.
The audit report notes the Department wasn’t always following established practices when reviewing applications, carrying out inspections and taking samples from crops. Among the issues were only 57 percent of growers participating in the program were inspected and only 58 percent of growers’ crops were tested for THC levels last year.
“While the Department indicated that staffing shortages and competing priorities factored into its inability to inspect and sample all growers, incomplete records and unreliable data systems hinder effective monitoring and informed decision making,” states the report.
It also states it couldn’t always be determined from the Department’s records whether planting occurred or not – and follow-up wasn’t always being performed to determine this.
Another issue of concern raised was the Department generally accepting most grower applications, even if applications were incomplete or contained risk factors that officials stated they screen for during review.
In a letter from the Department of Agriculture and Markets dated October 31 2019 accompanying the report, the Department notes its agreement with the recommendations provided and stated that work was already under way to improve program oversight.
New York’s hemp cultivation sector has seen rapid growth, with the number of participants jumping from 156 in December 2018 to 419 in July 2019.
In other recent related news, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation into law in December establishing a regulatory framework for the production and sale of hemp and hemp extract in the state.
420 Intel is Your Source for Marijuana News
420 Intel is the leading source for cannabis news from around the world. Get the latest updates on cannabis legalization, politics and technology, as well as developments in medical and recreational marijuana news. Our commitment is to bring you the most important cannabis news stories every day of the week.
At 420 Intel we understand that effective marijuana industry news coverage is a constant endeavor. Every day stories develop regarding cannabis legalization, technological developments, and the medicinal benefits of marijuana use. Each new development carries the potential to impact the marijuana industry regionally, nationally, and internationally. 420 Intel is the marijuana industry news outlet that will keep you up to date on these developments and how they impact the world around you.
With the marijuana industry constantly evolving, you need a cannabis news outlet to keep you abreast of the pertinent information. At 420 Intel, we cover marijuana legalization news throughout the world, offer reliable information for cannabis business owners, detail technological advances that impact the marijuana industry, cover marijuana rallies from across the globe, and everything in between.
You can get 420 Intel news delivered directly to your inbox by signing up for our daily marijuana news, ensuring you’re always kept up to date on the ever-changing cannabis industry. To stay even better informed about marijuana legalization news follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.