Feds clear path for hemp farming; Montana leads the nation in crop production

Nov 04, 2019 at 08:18 AM CST
(CN) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued its interim final rule on hemp production in America, clearing the way for farmers to cultivate what could be a highly lucrative — or highly speculative — new crop. The 2018 Farm Bill passed in December 2018, but it wasn’t until Thursday’s final interim rule was published in the Federal Register that hemp farmers, bankers and manufacturers could get a sense of direction from the federal government over hemp, which had been listed in the Controlled Substances Act until the farm bill passed. “This is a necessary step for the full implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill,” Daniel Shortt, a Seattle attorney who specializes in hemp and marijuana laws, said. “This gives farmers boots on the ground” to move ahead with production, he said. The publication of the final rule Thursday in the Federal Register officially establishes the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. This program “creates a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States,” according to the USDA.

Nov 04, 2019 at 08:18 AM CST

(CN) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued its interim final rule on hemp production in America, clearing the way for farmers to cultivate what could be a highly lucrative — or highly speculative — new crop. The 2018 Farm Bill passed in December 2018, but it wasn’t until Thursday’s final interim rule was published in the Federal Register that hemp farmers, bankers and manufacturers could get a sense of direction from the federal government over hemp, which had been listed in the Controlled Substances Act until the farm bill passed. “This is a necessary step for the full implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill,” Daniel Shortt, a Seattle attorney who specializes in hemp and marijuana laws, said. “This gives farmers boots on the ground” to move ahead with production, he said. The publication of the final rule Thursday in the Federal Register officially establishes the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program. This program “creates a consistent regulatory framework around hemp production throughout the United States,” according to the USDA.