The 2018 Federal Farm Bill (Farm Bill) significantly changed federal regulation of the growing of hemp in the United States. In the Farm Bill, hemp was removed from the federal list of controlled substances. The bill defines hemp as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a total delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.” Total Potential Delta 9-THC = Delta 9-THC +(Delta 9-THCa x (0.877)).
As a result, New York State’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program has been replaced with a new program approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as provided for in the Farm Bill and related regulations.
The new plan, which can be found on the USDA's website , includes new guidelines for growers, including sampling and testing requirements. In addition, all growers must complete the FBI Identity History Summary Check .
The FBI Identity History Summary Check must be submitted with the application for a hemp license and must have been performed no more than 60 days prior to submitting the hemp license application.
All growers previously licensed under New York State’s Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program must reapply under this new program to grow hemp in 2022 and beyond.
Find out more in the guidance document below.
