Nebraska Submits its Hemp Plan to the USDA

After decades of being classified as a controlled substance, hemp was finally legalized in 2018 by the Farm Bill. The legislation classified cannabis with less than 0.3% THC as industrial hemp. THC, or delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical in marijuana that makes users ‘high’, and legal hemp varieties have minuscule levels of it.

The Farm Bill gave farmers all over the country the green light to grow industrial hemp under state and tribal programs, as long as the hemp met the federal requirements. The bill also instructed states to create their own hemp plans and submit them to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for review.

On Friday, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture submitted the state’s hemp plan to the USDA. The plan lays out the rules and regulations for Nebraska’s hemp program. It calls for the state to collect $236,000 in license fees to administer the program for 270 cultivator licenses, 30 processor-handler licenses, and 15 broker licenses.

Application fees will range from $100 to $150, and the licensed cultivator site registration fees will cost &400 to $600 per site. Processor handler site registration will go for $800 to $1,200 per site.

According to the new plan, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture will be granted authority over hemp production in Nebraska. It will be the responsibility of the department to sample and test plants within 15 days of the harvest date. It can also use USDA-approved samplers.

The plan also states that anyone who commits a negligent violation three times within a five year period will be ineligible to farm hemp for five years.

The department has hired a number of employees in anticipation of the workload related to overseeing the hemp program. For example, a program manager began working full-time on November 18, with a part-time assistant joining by January 15. There will also be four inspectors and one investigator to handle the sampling procedures.

If the plan is implemented next year, it will cost roughly $231,000. $170,000 will go to salaries, $25,332 for operating expenses, $8,340 for travel and repayments of $28,000 to other departments for 2019 costs.

The USDA has 60 days to review the hemp plan before approving it or suggesting changes to comply with federal hemp regulations.

Demand for hemp is at an all-time high. The crop has a multitude of uses, from industrial to nutritional. Hemp extract cannabidiol is also enjoying a high demand. The chemical is said to be a potent medicine capable of treating a range of illnesses including chronic pain, high blood pressure, and anxiety. Experts estimate the CBD industry will be worth at least $20 billion by 2026.

It would be interesting to hear what hemp companies like HTC Extraction Systems (TSX.V: HTC) (OTCQB: HTPRF) and LiveWire Ergogenics Inc. (OTC: LVVV) have to say about this hemp plan that has been submitted for approval.

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