By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reopened the comment period to the interim final rule on the U.S. Hemp Production Program that was first published in October 2019.
The reopening provides an additional 30 days for interested parties to provide what USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) called “additional input on several topics identified by commenters.”
AMS also asked for comments from stakeholders, especially “those who were subject to the regulatory requirements of the interim final rule during the 2020 production cycle.”
Topics commenters are encouraged to write about include:
- Measurement of Uncertainty for Sampling
- Liquid Chromatography Factor, 0.877
- Disposal and Remediation of Non-Compliant Plants
- Negligence
- Interstate Commerce
- 15-day Harvest Window
- Hemp seedlings, microgreens, and clones
- Hemp breeding and research
- Sampling Methodology – Flower vs. Whole Plant
- Sampling Methodology – Homogenous Composition, Frequency, and Volume
- Sampling Agents
- DEA Laboratory Registration
Additional information on each topic listed above can be found here.
The comment period will be open through Oct. 8. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.
In March, Texas farmers began applying for licenses to grow hemp.
Click here for more information on the state hemp program.