USDA Extends Deadline for Testing Hemp by DEA-Registered Labs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service is delaying until Dec. 31, 2023, the enforcement of a requirement that all hemp must be tested by a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered laboratory.
The original deadline for hemp producers to meet the requirement was Jan. 1, 2023. Due to inadequate DEA-registered laboratory testing capacity, testing can be conducted by labs that are not registered with DEA until Dec. 31, 2023. Laboratories testing hemp must comply with all other regulatory requirements.
USDA is delaying enforcement of this requirement based on input received from state and tribal governments and third-party cannabis testing facilities that have experienced delays in completing the DEA laboratory registration process. Because of these delays, USDA is concerned there will be inadequate hemp laboratory testing capacity for the 2023 growing season.
More information regarding this notice is available on the AMS Hemp Analytical Testing Laboratories webpage.
