The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services plan to regulate hemp production.
With the approval, VDACS will be the primary hemp production regulator in the state.
“Beginning January 1, 2022, the production of hemp throughout the U.S. must comply with the 2018 federal Farm Bill’s hemp provisions and USDA’s Domestic Hemp Production Program regulations. Additionally, state departments of agriculture with USDA-approved plans, like VDACS, must regulate hemp production in accordance with the 2018 federal Farm Bill’s hemp provisions and USDA’s Domestic Hemp Production Program regulations,” a release said.
If the federal government gives new flexibility, VDACS will consider program modifications.
New changes include:
- Requiring each applicant for an Industrial Hemp Grower Registration to submit a criminal history report to VDACS,
- Requiring all registered Industrial Hemp Growers to test the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of their hemp lots 30 days before each hemp lot is harvested by utilizing private sampling agents and testing laboratories. Exceptions may be available to institutions of higher education researchers and certain growers producing fiber hemp under a contract with an industrial hemp fiber processing facility,
- Requiring registered Industrial Hemp Growers to report certain crop information to USDA’s Farm Service Agency.
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Source: nbc12
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