Hemp Growers and THC

Hemp Growers and THC

Rick Worthington
Rick Worthington
Hemp Growers and THC

Farmers growing hemp will get a small cushion in THC limits under nationwide rules proposed by federal agriculture regulators.

Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new rules, crops testing higher than 0.3% THC due to uncertain genetics and variation in sampling will have a range of “measurement of uncertainty” that their crops must fall within for their test results to be considered acceptable.

The THC variance may give some hemp farmers additional comfort they won’t face drug crimes.

There is another aspect of the new regulations that will be good news for organizations that truck hemp across the country.

The interim final rule becomes effective upon publication in the Federal Register. Following publication, USDA invites public comment on the interim rule and the information collection burden. A preview of the rule is posted on USDA’s website.

USDA also developed guidelines for sampling and testing procedures that are being issued concurrently with this rule. These documents provide additional information for sampling agents and hemp testing laboratories.

More information about the provisions of the interim final rule is available on the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program web page on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) website.

Once state and tribal plans are in place, hemp producers will be eligible for a number of USDA programs, including insurance coverage through Whole-Farm Revenue Protection. For information on available programs, visit farmers.gov/hemp.

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