The USDA announced an interim final rule for the establishment of a domestic hemp program on Tuesday. The program was required by the 2018 Farm Bill to create consistency and regulation around domestic hemp production in the US.

The interim final rule: “includes provisions 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, and ensuring compliance with the requirements of the new part.” It is open for comment until December 30, 2019. 

The Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said “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.”  He added that “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.”