Today’s Pickup: USDA says states can’t block hemp transport

Did you know?

In Elmwood Place, Ohio, trucks regularly get stuck attempting to cross an elevated railroad crossing. It can take five to six hours to dislodge the vehicles. The crossing has clearly marked signs warning, “Tractors and trailers cannot clear the tracks.” One resident suggested biggers signs and higher fines.

Quotable:

“We view the perpetrators of this act as traitors to the country’s sustainability and therefore they should be stopped and brought to justice.”

–Malaysia Environment minister Yeo Bee Yin, on the illegal shipments of plastic waste, which the country is planning to return.

In other news:

Trucker uses air horn as fire alarm

Three people escaped to safety from a burning home after a passing trucker uses his air horn to alert the neighborhood. (Watertown Daily Times)

British Columbia port employers to lockout longshore workers

Longshore workers in Vancouver and other British Columbia ports are slated to be locked out on May 30 amid a labor dispute. (Vancouver Sun)

TSA says passengers can fly with CBD products

The Transportation Security Administration quietly announced that passengers can travel with certain CBD and other legal hemp-derived products. (Forbes)

Huawei complains over FedEx package diversion

Huawei plans to complain over the accidental rerouting of packages by FedEx. (Financial Post)

XStream Trucking gets funding for fuel economy products

California-based XStream Trucking has secured $10.5 million in funding for its software and hardware-based solutions to improve fleets’ fuel economy. (Global Newswire)

Final thoughts:

The USDA is taking a positive step by clearing the uncertainty surrounding hemp transport in the U.S. But much remains to be done to ensure it happens without legal repercussions. Importantly, law enforcement must use testing methods that reliably distinguish between legal CBD, the non-psychoactive substance derived from hemp, and THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. Unfortunately, field tests widely used by police are prone to creating false positives for THC in CBD products. That means that anyone transporting legal CBD is potentially taking a gamble.

Hammer down everyone!