Washington, D.C. (WKZO AM/FM) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced plans for creating a Domestic Hemp Production Program.
According to an official press release, the program, as required by the 2018 Farm Bill, creates a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States.
The program was announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in a press release Tuesday.
“At USDA, we are always excited when there are new economic opportunities for our farmers, and we hope the ability to grow hemp will pave the way for new products and markets,” Secretary Perdue said. “We have had teams operating with all hands-on-deck to develop a regulatory framework that meets Congressional intent while seeking to provide a fair, consistent, and science-based process for states, tribes, and individual producers who want to participate in this program.”
The press release notes that, later this week, an interim final rule formalizing the program will be published in the Federal Register that will allow hemp to be grown under federally-approved plans and make hemp producers eligible for a number of agricultural programs.
The rule includes provisions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to approve hemp production plans developed by states and Indian tribes including:
- Requirements for maintaining information on the land where hemp is produced;
- Testing the levels of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol;
- Disposing of plants not meeting necessary requirements;
- Licensing requirements.
It also establishes a federal plan for hemp producers in states or territories of Indian tribes that do not have their own approved hemp production plan.
More information about the provisions of the interim final rule is available on the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program web page on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) website.
More information on available programs can be found by visiting farmers.gov/hemp.
