USDA Approves Two Additional State Hemp Plans
Missouri
The approval of Missouri’s Industrial Hemp Plan was made by USDA with no required changes to existing state regulation. As a result, Missouri’s industrial hemp producers will continue operations under the existing regulatory framework.“This approval is a testament to the hard work our team has put in to open up a new regulatory framework for growers looking to diversify their operations,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “We’ve worked hard to incorporate feedback from growers, industry stakeholders and federal partners over the last several months. We hope that this is the certainty that many in the emerging industry have been looking for.”
This is the first year that Missouri producers may legally grow industrial hemp within the state. Data from the inaugural 2020 growing season shows 197 Registered Producers, and 75 Agricultural Hemp Propagule and Seed Permit Holders. In total, Missouri growers have indicated 3,696 acres of planned growth for the first year. A hallmark of the state’s Industrial Hemp Plan was a pathway for producers to hire third-party certified samplers to collect compliance samples prior to harvest. In 2020, the state has trained and certified 63 industrial hemp samplers.
Since the federal legalization of industrial hemp growth for research purposes in 2014, interested producers in Missouri have seen multiple changes to state and federal laws and regulations. The Department urges producers to anticipate further changes in laws and regulations over the next several years as USDA and all 50 states work to establish final guidelines for the crop.
Maine
With the approval, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) assumes primary regulatory responsibility for hemp production within its jurisdiction, under the oversight of the USDA Domestic Hemp Production Program.“Hemp is becoming an important part of Maine’s agriculture sector,” said DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal. “Approval of our hemp production plan means Maine’s growers will have certainty about the expectations and guidelines for hemp cultivation for the coming years.”
Because Maine allows for hemp production under existing state law, DACF must act to reconcile the differences between its existing program and the Interim Final Rule during the upcoming January 2021 legislative session. The statutory changes and subsequent rulemaking will authorize hemp production and provide DACF with the authority needed to regulate hemp production in a manner consistent with the 2018 Farm Bill and the USDA’s Interim Final Rule that establishes the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program.
Maine’s hemp program has been in place since 2016, beginning with one grower who harvested seed from less than an acre. Today the program includes 110 outdoor licenses and 362 licensed acres of planted hemp and seven indoor grower licenses, with over 22,700 licensed square feet planted. Hemp is grown in every one of Maine’s 16 counties, and the varieties grown thrive in all parts of the state.