The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will publish an interim final rule in the Federal Register this week to establish a new program that will provide a new regulatory framework for hemp production in the U.S.

“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,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a press release Tuesday announcing the program.

Required by the 2018 Farm Bill, the program establishes Federal guidelines for the USDA to approve states’ and tribes’ hemp production plans, including recordkeeping on land used to grow hemp, testing hemp for delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, licensing requirements, disposal of non-compliant plants, and methods of demonstrating compliance. The new framework will allow hemp producers to apply for USDA programs, including insurance through Whole-Farm Revenue Protection. 

“As mandated by Congress, our program requires all hemp growers to be licensed, and includes testing protocols to ensure that hemp grown under this program is hemp and nothing else. The USDA has also worked to provide licensed growers with access to loans and risk management products available for other crops,” Secretary Perdue said. 

In addition to the regulations for hemp producers, new rules were also created on sampling and testing procedures for hemp testing facilities and sampling agents. 

Secretary Perdue said the new interim final rule will go into effect as soon as it is published in the Federal Register. 

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