Data is a tool used for an array of functions and is routinely leveraged as a means to realize favorable policy or funding.  In the hemp sector, or the wider cannabis sector, there are some aligned interests, and some that are otherwise.  An example of this is the competing interests of hemp derived cannabinoid operators – particularly ∆8-THC – and the highly regulated and taxed MJ operators in states like CO or OR. 

In the world of USDA data, or state level data gleaned by state departments of agriculture, the numbers inform decisionmakers administering massive, multipurpose tranches of funding.  The data included in the 2021 National Hemp Report is not necessarily an accurate representation of current hemp production, or current market sizes, but that fact isn’t relevant to the growth of the upstart industry. 

Hemp stakeholders could be delaying years of potential support if they do not proactively stake their claim for funding based on…