USDA Issues Hemp Production Interim Final Rule

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued the long-awaited interim final rule (“the rule”) establishing regulations for a domestic hemp production program. The rule provides clarity for hemp growers and related businesses and is a critical next step after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill last December. Among other things, the rule outlines provisions for USDA to approve plans submitted by states and Indian Tribes for the domestic production of hemp, establishes a federal plan for hemp producers in states or territories of Indian Tribes that do not have their own USDA-approved plan, and includes provisions for maintaining information on the land where hemp is grown and testing levels of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).