The flurry of last-minute regulations from the Trump administration includes a final rule concerning domestic hemp production. The Department of Agriculture published the final rule notice in the Federal Register Tuesday. The U.S. Hemp Growers Association says the final rule appears to address many of the concerns the organization expressed during a comment period.
Changes include allowing a producer a maximum of one negligent violation in a growing season, but the threshold for finding such negligence is moved from .5% to 1%. Alternative disposal for non-compliant plants will be outlined in a separate remediation techniques paper from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. Disposal and remediation measures will be expanded.
Because there are not enough Drug Enforcement Administration registered laboratories to test all hemp in 2020 and 2021, non-DEA registered labs will be recognized for testing until Jan. 1, 2022. Sample collection is expanded to 30 days before harvest instead of the former 15 days.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)