Farmers in Colorado have been planting hemp seeds this year as part of the first legal hemp crop in the state. But one of the biggest challenges for the farmers is getting the actual seeds themselves. KGNU reported on the hemp shipment from Italy that was detained at a Louisville Kentucky airport for several weeks. Those seeds were eventually released. Now, hundreds of pounds of hemp seeds bound for Colorado are being detained at a border crossing in North Dakota after a Colorado hemp advocate attempted to drive them from Canada. Tom McClain, who works as a consultant to the hemp industry had purchased the seed from a seed dealer in Canada just over two weeks ago. Armed with a copy of last year’s federal Farm Bill, which allowed states to permit hemp cultivation for research and development, McClain set off on his journey back to Colorado, only to be detained at the border crossing by US customs agents. Tom McClain has written to US Attorney General Eric Holder as well as to Congressman Jared Polis and has asked them to intervene to have the hemp seeds released.
