Earlier this year, the state`s governor, Kevin Stitt, signed the law that sets out guidelines for growing industrial hemp. The remaining days of this year will remain under a pilot program. Kentucky is one of the largest hemp-producing states in the United States and has played an important role in paving the way for cannabis legalization in this country. More than a thousand permits have been issued to farmers, according to the state commissioner for agriculture, and are growing up to 42,000 hectares of hemp in 2019. This number has been multiplied by 3 since 2018. As advocates for hemp and cannabis practices, we regularly conduct research on the evolution of hemp laws in states across the country. Understanding the legal benefits and pitfalls is crucial for anyone growing or thinking about hemp. To give you a head start in understanding the national market, we`ve compiled a list of the best — and worst — states to grow hemp: Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill on May 2 making it legal to grow industrial hemp in the state. The law came into force in July 2019. This state was one of the last states to remove hemp from the list of controlled substances. Wyoming is expected to introduce a very difficult competitive market for hemp to the country. Finally, U.S.
farmers are allowed to grow cannabis or hemp with less than 0.3% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), as they are now treated the same as all other agricultural crops. After eighty years of activism, the U.S. federal agency has finally realized what many of us had realized before – that hemp is not a drug at all. In 2019, the state approved a pilot program for hemp cultivation as it received a number of applications from farmers interested in growing industrial hemp. For example, a bill to legalize hemp was passed unanimously by both houses in the General Assembly. As we know, some states are excellent for growing hemp, two are currently atrocious and the others are somewhere in the middle. In other words, many states do not threaten, but they do not support them either. Currently, state legislatures are setting guidelines for hemp production and will issue permits under USDA regulations.
The state has also legalized the cultivation of hemp with a THC content greater than 0.3%, but is strictly regulated by the state. No. While hemp and medical marijuana come from the same plant genus and contain many of the same chemical compounds, the concentration of compounds in the two plant species can be very different. The legal difference is the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that the plant contains. If the cannabis plant contains more than 0.3% THC, it is considered marijuana. In addition, more and more farmers in this state are getting a license every day. Another company applied for a license to process CBD oil. Thus, the future of hemp in this state looks very promising. Starting in the 2021 crop year, hemp will be insurable under the Nursery Crop Insurance Program and the Nursery Value Select Crop Insurance Pilot Program.
Under both programs, hemp is insurable when grown in containers and in accordance with federal regulations, applicable state or tribal laws, and crop insurance policy terms. Although laws vary from state to state, it is more or less legal to produce hemp in most U.S. states. America is finally getting its base farm back. This can greatly benefit America, as it will revolutionize many of its key industries – textiles, biomass, natural gas, building materials and others. A data sheet from Central State University explaining the different types of hemp plants. A pilot program for hemp cultivation was approved in 2018 for industrial hemp in Alaska. The goal of the pilot program was to educate people about the production and cultivation of industrial hemp.
The 2018 Farm Bill reclassified hemp and it is now legal to grow industrial hemp. The USDA`s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) explained how states and tribes can develop plans for growers to grow hemp in these areas. Eligible producers include those who grow in accordance with USDA, state and tribal plans or for research purposes under Section 7606 of the 2014 Farm Bill. For more information, visit the AMS Hemp Production website. The state has passed a bill, House Bill 1325, which proposes to legalize industrial hemp and its extracts in the state. However, Texas lawmakers appear to be delaying the bill, even though the government fully supports the bill. As a result, no pilot program has yet been launched for industrial hemp cultivation in the state. Georgia`s governor signed a bill in early 2019 allowing the cultivation of industrial hemp.
Previously, he had signed a law restricting the cultivation of marijuana for medical purposes. Farmers must pay $50 per hectare to obtain their hemp licence. The 2018 Farm Bill restricted the participation of certain convicted offenders in hemp production. A person with a state or federal conviction in relation to a controlled substance is subject to a 10-year non-approval restriction on hemp production, with an exclusion for those who have legally grown hemp under the 2014 Farm Bill. A subsequent question was whether this restriction would apply only to the holder of the establishment applying for the licence or whether it would apply to all employees of the establishment. In an industry that is already suffering from growing labour shortages, is it really necessary to limit the labour pool by requiring every field worker, tractor driver or janitor to undergo this background check before a farm can grow hemp? This is an issue where the rule provides much-needed relief and clarity for producers. When submitting an application to grow hemp, farmers must provide a completed criminal record, and if the application involves a commercial entity, the criminal record report must be provided for each “key participant”. The rule further clarifies that a significant participant is any person who has a direct or indirect financial interest in the business entity, such as an owner or partner.
The definition does not include shift supervisors or field workers. Fortunately, these rules do not make it any more difficult to obtain a reliable agricultural workforce. But farmers in every state don`t benefit equally from hemp, and the reasons for these differences aren`t limited to climate and soil. According to state law, no agricultural land can be used for hemp cultivation. This increases the tax rate on this crop, so immediate legislative changes must be made to make hemp economically viable in the state. If you have any questions about hemp processing or products, please contact the Ministry of Food Safety at 614-728-6250 Senate Bill 2725, also known as the Mississippi Hemp Cultivation Act, was signed into law on June 29, 2020. This law legalized hemp cultivation as part of a state plan to be developed and implemented by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Trade. Although the law authorized a state hemp cultivation program, the funds needed to implement the program were not provided by the Mississippi Legislature. State legislators are doing their best to simplify the framework for growing, processing and navigating the industrial hemp market. Farmers interested in growing hemp can obtain permits on the PDA website. Learn more about the regulatory status of state and tribal hemp programs by visiting the AMS Hemp Production website.