First Hemp Plans Approved
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the first set of plans submitted by States and Tribes for the domestic production of hemp!
States and Tribes with approved plans are:
Louisiana
New Jersey
Ohio
Flandreau Santee Sioux
Santa Rosa Cahuilla
La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indian Tribes.
USDA will continue to process and approve submitted plans. A current list of all submitted (and approved) domestic hemp production plans, as well as status updates on submitted plans, can be found on the USDA.gov website.
Background Information on Domestic Hemp Production Plans
The 2018 Farm Bill (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) delegated regulatory oversight of domestic hemp production to USDA. On October 31, 2019, USDA issued the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program Final Interim Rule (IFR), which was quickly followed by Guidance Documents on sampling, testing and lab reports.
The Interim Final Rule calls for USDA to approve plans submitted by States and Tribes to regulate hemp production in thier respective jurisdictions. For states or territories that do not have their own hemp plan approved by USDA, the USDA has established a federal plan for producers in those states and territories to follow. All hemp producers in the United States must hold a license under a State, Tribal, or the USDA hemp production plan.
USDA Comment Period Extended
It is crucial that USDA hears from members of the hemp community on the burdensome policies laid out in the IFR.
Please note, USDA has extended the IFR comment submission period until January 29, 2020. AgHS encourages all stakeholders to submit written comments to USDA on the IFR.
AgHS Campaign
AgHS has launched the federal lobbying Campaign to align federal legislation and USDA rulemaking with the needs of the domestic hemp industry. To learn more about the Campaign or to have AgHS assist you in submitting comments to USDA please contact us today!