On June 18th, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), in partnership with Governor Polis and the Office of the Attorney General, submitted the Colorado State Hemp Management Plan (the “Plan”) to the US Department of Agriculture.
To recognize the contributions of the Hemp Industry the COHIA board of supervisors worked with Governor Polis to officially proclaim June 6-13, 2020 Colorado Hemp Week!
Although many hemp farms & companies are receiving funding, we have heard troubling reports that some businesses who are applying for PPP loans through their banks are being denied. We want you to know that we are working very hard on this issue with Governor Polis and our Colorado Delegation being led by Senators Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner and the Colorado Small Business Administration to address the problems and fix them.
USDA and its Federal partners have programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. These programs can support recovery efforts for rural residents, businesses and communities through:
Colorado small businesses impacted by COVID-19 can seek individual small business loans up to $2M as part of the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Small businesses throughout all 64 counties may seek SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans. Governor Jared Polis announced that Colorado’s application for federal disaster area designation has been approved.
COHIA is pleased to announce the outcome of our board member election. New members Andrew Bish & Cindy Sovine. Existing board members Margaret Mackenzie & Bethleen McCall were also elected to serve another term.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week announced the availability of crop insurance protection for producers of hemp under two separate programs. With the availability of insurance through these programs, hemp producers in Colorado may be able to obtain protection of their hemp crops from natural disasters.
This is the Joint Resolution the Colorado Legislature passed concerning the USDA Interim Final Rules:
Voting for the COHIA board is now open!
For those members interested in submitting public comment, we are offering a basic form letter for use, but please be sure to fill it in with your own personal story and how these rules may financially disrupt your business.