On October 29, 2019, the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) released its highly anticipated interim final rule establishing rules and regulations for domestic hemp production. These interim regulations were required by the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act (2018 Farm Bill), which tasked the USDA with promulgating a regulatory framework for hemp production in the United States.

Under the USDA rule, states and tribes will have the option of either submitting a proposed hemp regulation plan to the USDA for approval or agreeing to submit to the USDA’s general requirements. The regulations include requirements for maintaining information regarding land used for growing hemp, sampling and testing procedures for delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”), disposing of non-compliant hemp products, licensing requirements, and ensuring compliance with the requirements.

The rule has been formally published in the Federal Register and comments may be submitted until December 30, 2019.

To read more about the USDA hemp rule, visit Reed Smith’s website.