The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) published the final rule where hemp production is regulated in the United States.
This rule incorporates modifications to the regulations already established under the interim final rule published in October 2019. The amendments are based on public comments made after the publication of the IFR and are also based on lessons learned during the 2020 growing season.
The final rule will take effect on March 22, 2021, and will be available in the Federal Register.
“With the publication of this final rule, USDA brings to a close a full and transparent rule-making process that started with a hemp listening session in March 2019,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Greg Ibach. “USDA staff have taken the information you have provided through three comment periods and from your experiences over a growing season to develop regulations that meet Congressional intent while providing a fair, consistent, science-based process for states, tribes and individual producers. USDA staff will continue to conduct education and outreach to help industry achieve compliance with the requirements.”
Key provisions of the final rule include licensing requirements; recordkeeping requirements for maintaining information about the land where hemp is produced; procedures for testing the THC concentration levels for hemp; procedures for disposing of non-compliant plants; compliance provisions; and procedures for handling violations.
