Wolfinger: Sheriff's Association opposes hemp legalization

From the Idaho Sheriff’s Association:

The Idaho Sheriffs’ Association is opposed to House Bill 122 that would legalize production of industrial hemp in Idaho.

This introduction of hemp without proper safe guards in place, is the proverbial camel’s nose under the tent with growing marijuana in Idaho. This bill does not provide any mechanism for testing agricultural hemp for meeting the standards set forth by this bill and Federal law. Without the necessary testing, as well as a methodof paying for the staff to monitor and the testing process, this bill is incomplete and should not be allowed to move forward.

This bill would limit Tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) concentration to 0.3%, equal to that of Federal regulations, but there is no provision for testing hemp to ensure it is compliant. Unlike field tests used by law enforcement to detect the presence of THC, there are no field tests that can perform quantitative analysis to determine THC concentrations. In fact, the Idaho State Police Forensic Laboratories do not have the capability to do quantitative analysis in any of their labs and must send samples out of state for lab testing at considerable expense.

If hemp is to be a viable crop in Idaho, then not only must regulations be put into place, but a source of funding to pay for personnel who will monitor growing operations as well as to cover the expenses of lab analysis. It is not right that the taxpayers of Idaho should pay for these regulatory considerations and allow those few who would profit from hemp production to not be held responsible for the cost of their chosen industry.

Finally, marijuana, in any form is not an Idaho value. We in Law Enforcement fight daily against the ills caused by drug abuse. We have the opportunity here to be preventative as we explore this potential crop. As for House Bill 122, let’s keep it in a drawer and not let it move forward.

Ben Wolfinger, Sheriff

Kootenai County

President, Idaho Sheriffs’ Association