The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the first set of plans submitted by states and Indian tribes for the domestic production of hemp under the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. The plans were submitted by the states of Louisiana, New Jersey, and Ohio, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux, Santa Rosa Cahuilla, and La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indian Tribes.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) directed USDA to develop a regulatory oversight program for hemp and include provisions for USDA to approve hemp production plans submitted by states and Indian tribes. Accordingly, on October 31, 2019, USDA issued an interim final rule establishing the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program and the provisions for USDA to approve submitted plans. State and tribal plans provide details on practices and procedures that enable hemp producers in their jurisdictions to operate according to their individual plans and in compliance with federal laws.
 
To produce hemp, growers must be licensed or authorized under a state, tribe, or USDA production program. The program a grower is licensed under depends on the location of the hemp growing facility. If a state or tribe has an approved plan or is in the process of developing a plan, growers must apply and be licensed or authorized under its hemp program. If a state or tribe does not have a plan and does not intend to have a plan, growers can apply for a license from USDA.
 
USDA continues to receive and review plans from states and Indian tribes and maintains a list of all on our website, along with approved plans. To check the status of a plan or to review approved plans, visit: Status of State and Tribal Hemp Production Plans.
 
For additional information about the program and the provisions of the interim final rule, visit the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program web page.
 
For information or questions related to a specific plan, please contact the applicable state or tribe.


VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, welcomes individuals interested in sharing their time and talents through volunteer opportunities in hospice. Because hospice patients have unique end-of-life needs, VITAS seeks volunteers from all backgrounds, experiences and cultures.

VITAS volunteers are part of a multidisciplinary team of caregivers that include a doctor, nurse, aide, chaplain and social worker. All volunteers have the opportunity to choose a role in which they feel comfortable and fulfilled including activities such as patient care, pet visits, music and art enrichment, administrative assistance, sewing, quilting and more.
 
Volunteers receive free and comprehensive training before being assigned, a job where they learn hospice philosophy, caring for the terminally ill and grief and loss education, and more.
 
Hospice volunteers make a difference for people at the end of their life journey, filling the gap between loved ones and professional caregivers.
 
For more information or to apply to become a volunteer, visit VITAS.com/Volunteer.


Medical oncologist Sarah Joseph, M.D., has joined Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida, the state’s only member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance. Dr. Joseph will primarily be a hospital-based hematologist-oncologist. She will see new patient consultations and manage the day-to-day care of patients requiring hospitalization.

Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Joseph earned her medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. She also earned a Master of Science degree in Experimental Medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She completed a residency in internal medicine at UPMC Pinnacle in Harrisburg, PA. Her post-doctoral training also included a fellowship divided between Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, PA and McGill University. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Hematology and a member of the American College of Physicians.


Tammy Jackson-Moore was recently appointed by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners to serve a four-year term on the Board of the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.

Jackson-Moore is a consultant, a community organizer, and an advocate for the Glades community. She has worked tirelessly to transform the lives of many and to better the community around her. Her hard work has allowed her to receive distinguished recognition including Who’s Who in Black South Florida, and to serve as chairperson of the Palm Beach County Commission on Women. She is the co-founder of Guardians of the Glades, an advocacy organization that works on behalf of the Glades communities.
 
Jackson-Moore has both governmental and non-profit experience. She formerly worked as a Public Information Officer and Outreach Specialist or the South FL Water Management District, as well as a Deputy City Manager in municipal government. She also served in a leadership role for the American Red Cross. A member of various boards and committees, Jackson-Moore serves as the Secretary of the Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic (LORE) Alliance of Palm Beach County, and the Palm Tran Service Board. She also served as a panelist on the 2018 Reignite Florida Leadership Summit.


The only fellowship-trained endocrine surgeon in Palm Beach County, Jessica L. Buicko, M.D., has joined Bethesda Health Physician Group. Dr. Buicko treats a range of disorders impacting the body’s endocrine system through open and minimally invasive surgery of the adrenal, thyroid and parathyroid glands.

Dr. Buicko earned an undergraduate degree in biology and participated as a scholar-athlete on the nationally ranked women’s lacrosse team at Johns Hopkins University. She went on to earn her medical degree at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, graduating with distinction as part of the Alpha Omega Alpha and Iron Arrow Honor Societies. She completed a general surgery residency at the University of Miami program at JFK Medical Center in Palm Beach County, where she served as chief resident and was named Resident of the Year. She then completed a fellowship in advanced endocrine and metabolic surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She also received advanced training in breast surgical oncology and minimally invasive surgery, including both robotic and laparoscopic surgery.
 
Dr. Buicko is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. She has faculty appointments at both Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami.